Escape
by Secretly.Nerdish
Summary: After battling against the biggest threat Berk have ever come across, Hiccup is no where to be found, and he's assumed dead. But then Alvin the Treacherous was spotted by the Berkians not far from the island where the fight had just happened. Alvin gets his hands on the dragon conqerour and since he's held hostile, the Berkians need to get him back.
1. Chapter 1

Hiccup's POV

* * *

" _This is Berk. Its twelve days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the meridian of misery. My village, in a word, sturdy. It's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. We have fishing, hunting and a charming view of the sunsets- The only problems are the pests. You see, most places have mice or mosquitoes. We have…. Dragons_!"

I woke up in early in the morning by the sound of dragons. Four times a week the dragons raid us and take all the food, sheep's and yaks they can get. Which leaves us months behind work of catching them for the freeze. If we don't gather enough food for the deadly winter as we like to call it, we will starve to death.

I ran downstairs, putting on my fur vest, placing my little dagger, notebook and charcoal pen underneath the vest and sprinted out the door on my way to the forge. Just as I opened the door, there was chaos. Vikings, animals and dragons running, attacking or hiding from each other. A Monstrous nightmare passed by my house, chasing a sheep, but stopped as it laid its eyes, that could kill a sheep by just staring at it, into my very own. The dragon is one of the most dangerous dragons Berk has ever laid eyes on.

It came towards me, aiming its burning fire at me. Panicked, I ran back inside, slamming the door with my back up against the wooden door to prevent the dragon from coming in. Luckily me it worked.

At this time of day my job as a blacksmith apprentice would start in a matter of minutes. Once again I opened the door that is now half burned, sprinting out of the house and into the chaos of our village. Unfortunately, the forge is on the other side of the village. Usually I would only have a few minutes to walk, but now that my father is having anger problems, and using me as his 'angry Muppet releaser' by throwing his anger on me, his friend Gobber offered for me to stay at his house for a while. That was an offer I didn't need a second to think over.

" _Most people would leave, but not us. We're Vikings, we have stubbornness issues_ ," I thought to myself, running through the village. Almost getting my own head chopped off. I wouldn't really recommend running through a war, but as the raids keep coming on. Vikings need their axes and swords sharpen, even if the raid is still going. That means there's a lot of work that's needed to be done and even the greatest blacksmith in the world, could do that by himself.

" _Let me introduce myself. My name's Hiccup. Great name, I know. But it's not the worst. Parents believe that a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls. Like our charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that,_ " A burly warrior got tossed in an explosion, knowing me over.

"Mornin'!" He gave me a smile, stopping his axe from hitting my face just in time. The Viking stood up, running off into a direction of a monstrous nightmare, giving out the loudest war cry he could possible make. I got up from the cold grass and started running to the forge again, passing Vikings who told me to get back inside or take cover. But of course I disobeyed that order.

" _That's Stoick the Vast_ ," I muttered, passing by him. I could feel his big arms grip the back of my fur vest just in time, before I got roasted alive by a Deadly Nadder.

"Hiccup?! What is he doing out again?!" He yelled to the Vikings around him, pointing at me. His gaze turned to me and we stared in to each other's forest green eyes. "What are you doing out?! Get back inside!" With that he dropped me and I ran away, thinking about him.

" _He's the Chief of the tribe. They say that when he was a baby he popped a dragon's head clean off from its shoulders. Do I believe it? Yes I do_ ," Just as he was almost out of sight I could hear him talk to one of the Vikings about the dragons. I stayed to hear what he would say.

"What have we got?" Stoick asked a man, stopping him in his tracks.

"Gronkles. Nadders. Zipplebacks. Oh and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare," The Viking called Burnthair answered.

"Any night furies?"

"None so far," The man ran off, and so did I, but before Stoick was out of sight I could hear him mutter 'Good' to no one in particular. Then I was out of sight and finally at the forge, running into a house, behind a counter, where a peg-legged, one-armed hulk of a Blacksmith reshapes blades with a hammer and tongs appendages.

"Ah! Nice of you to join the party. I thought you'd been carried off." I took my leather apron out of my little part of the workshop where I design my inventions. Some have helped the village, and some, let's just say it didn't end very well.

"Who me? Nah, come on! I'm way too muscular for their taste. They wouldn't know what to do with all this," I answered, gesturing through all of me after cleaning off the table of some unfinished business.

"They need toothpick, don't they?" I rolled my eyes of the nickname 'Toothpick' that some Vikings like to call me.

" _The meathead with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well… littler_ ,"

I went over to a window and opened it, letting Vikings take their broken weapons on the window frame that needed to be fixed. Most of them are broken, unsharpened, dented or bent. Nothing a little 'Toothpick' can't handle, right? I grabbed the weapons, almost tripping over by how heavy they are. Then used all my strength to place them in the burning stones.

I did my work, watching the chief and some of his men carrying sheep's down to the docks, towards one of the lower defenses to counter-attack with the catapults. Over them, dragons lit the houses or smashed them with sitting on the rooftops.

" _See? Old village. Lots and lots of new houses_ ,"

In response of the fire, our fire patrol, a group of four teens passed by the forge with a large wooden cask on wheels. They fill buckets of water to douse the fire. From my point of view, it didn't really work as the dragons kept firing and making more explosions.

"Oh and that's Fishlegs. A big boy with a fur vest that looks like a dress. Snotlout, my cousin and the biggest bully of mine as well, the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, the towns trouble makers, and… Astrid, the most beautiful and gorgeous girl on Berk, but also the toughest one.

"Their job is so much cooler," I try to get the teen's attention by going to the window and almost jumping out, but got hooked by Gobber and hoisted back inside. "Ah, come on. Let me out, please. I need to make my mark,"

"Oh, you've made plenty of marks. All in the wrong places,"

"Please, two minutes. I'll kill a dragon! My life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date!" I almost shouted, pointing out to the chaos.

"You can't lift a hammer. You can't swing an axe. You can't even throw a bola!" He said, showing me a bola even if I know very well what it is. After all, I did design the newest and most used one! Just as he was about to lay it back under the window frame, a Viking grabbed it out of his hands and threw it at a dragon, making it fall to the ground in the middle of town.

"Okay fine, but this will throw it for me," I said, tapping a device and accidently it opens, shooting the bola through the window and hitting a Viking in line for help with a weapon.

"See, now this right here is what I'm talking about,"

"Mild calibration issue…," I tried to convince him, but he cut me off almost mid-sentence.

"Hiccup. If you ever want to get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all…," He pointed all over my body, "….this."

"But, you just pointed to all of me," I sad astonished over his sudden come back.

"Yes! That's it! Stop being all of you,"

"Ohhhh,"

"Ohhhh, yes." He said, mimicking my voice.

"You, sir, are playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much, raw… Vikingness contained. There will be consequences! "All he did was toss me a sword, without any special come back. This means I win! Haha haha! How is that for a Hiccup?

"I'll take my chances," Argh, "Sword. Sharpen. Now." I go over to the grinding wheel, placing the sword down as it starts, and a hand on the sword to keep it steady and enough weight for it to sharpen the sides. Then I went into my little own, fantasizing land.

" _One day I'll get out there. Because killing a dragon, is everything around here. A Nadder head is sure to get me at least noticed. Gronkles are tough; taking down one of those will definitely get me a girlfriend. Zippleback? Exotic. Two heads, twice the status. And then, there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire_ ," It attacks one of the towers, emerging from the flames with itself lightened up like it is its own sun. The Monstrous Nightmare climbs to the top with a leering, toothy grin.

"Reload! I'll take care of this," Stoick said, tightening the grip on his hammer and hitting it three times in the dragon jaw. The dragon flew away, terrified by the sound of the most feared dragon in history, who we Vikings assume is the leader of our weekly raids.

" _The most feared dragon and ultimate prize in my village is the dragon that no one has ever seen. We call it the Night fury_ ," It aims for the catapults being in use, making the Vikings including their chief, jump off, landing ten meters down on the hard ground.

" _This thing never steals food, never shows itself, and… never misses_ ," I thought, watching it blow its second target into splinters.

" _No one has ever killed a Night fury. That's why I'm going to be the first_ ," I snap out of my daydreaming, hearing a crack from underneath me. What I see is now a splinted sword. Man, I gotta stop daydreaming. Luckily, Gobber didn't notice. I watched as he trades his left hand from a hammer to an axe.

"Man the fort, Hiccup, they need me out there!" Gobber pauses, walking a few steps closer to me with a serious and threatening glare. I know what is coming, and therefore it's impossible for me to get rid of the happy smile, glued to my face. "Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean." He charges into fray, limping and shouting out a war cry with his axe above his head.

I smirked, taking off my leather apron and run over to my wheeled contraption. I push it out through a wall of clustered Vikings. I weave through the ongoing mayhem, as fast as my legs can carry both me and the contraption in front of me. Behind me I could hear Vikings outside the shop yelling my name and ordering me to get back there. I assured them I would be back as soon as I'm done with my own business. The reason I even went inside the forge was to get the contraptions, but it took a longer time than I expected to get out of there again. I just hope I'm not too late. It's already sunrise. This means, morning and the dragons leaves.

My legs could barely carry me to the top of a hill where there would be a perfect aim. It also happens to be beside my real house…

"Come on. Give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at," I held my aim a little above one of the last catapults that are still standing, expecting the dragons coming at it soon enough. KABLAM! The tower collapses by the power of the night furies blast, something I like to call 'plasma blast'. The dragon is out of sight, after the explosion, but then it came back and I pulled the trigger. As I did I got thrown back by the bola shooting forward, disappearing into the mid night sky, followed by a WHACK and a SCREECH.

"Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did anybody see that?" I turn around, hearing the contraption break to pieces by a red Monstrous Nightmare. So I did what any brave Viking would do. I screamed, well, let out a Viking cry. Just not the usual one. Let's just say it's a unique gift. Yeah…

Vikings scatter as I dodge a near fatal blast. The Nightmare's sticky, Napalm 'like fire splashes up onto the building, setting them all alight. I duck behind the last standing brazier which is the only shelter available for the moment. The Nightmare blasts it, spraying fire all around me, melting the think metal around the wooden material inside. I peer around the smoldering post to see no sign of the Nightmare. Just as I turn back around, I find it leering at me, blocking my escape. It takes a deep breath and the only thing that goes through my mind, I'm dead.

Suddenly, Stoick leaps between them, tackling the Nightmare to the ground by kicking it in its snout. I watch them tumble and wrestle, resuming their earlier fight at the tower. The Nightmare tries to toast him, but only coughs up a little pile of flames and some smoke.

"You're all out," I hear Stoick mumble; placing his Viking helmet back in place as it almost got knocked off by the wrestling. He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly in the face, driving it away. It takes to the air and disappears. Now, I'm really dead. I watch as he turns to me.

"Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know…," I thought, watching the 'used to be' brazier pole collapse, sending the massive iron basket crashing. It bounces down the hill, destroying as it goes and scattering the Vikings who were holding the netted Nadders. The free dragons escape with several sheep's, fishes and yaks in tow.

"Sorry, dad," I said, ashamed not daring to give eye contact. I look down to see the last of the escaped Nadders fly past us with sheep in their clutches. The raid is finally over and now it's time for me to get blamed, great. Just great! The dragons clearly won, but I sort of did too. After all I did hit a Night Fury. Should I tell them? Was the only question swimming around in my head. The murmuring crowd of Vikings eyes my father, awaiting his response.

Here goes nothing!

"Okay, but I hit a Night Fury," I said, trying to sound serious instead of scared about what my father is about to do to me, even if I have an idea. He grabs me by the back scruff of my vest and hauls me away towards the prison. You heard right, prison. I could see him fuming with embarrassment. "It's not like the last few times, dad! I mean I really actually hit it. You guys were busy and I had a very clean shot. It went down, just off Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there before it…," But I was cut off by my angry looking father.

"STOP! Just… stop," He releases me. Everyone goes silent, staring expectantly. No one knows about the whole prison thing except for my father and Gobber. "Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter is almost here and I have an entire village to feed!" He shouts, gesturing to the Vikings around us. I look down as everyone lays their eyes on me.

"Between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding don't ya think?" I said, trying to lighten up the mood with a small joke. Really not a good idea…

"This isn't a joke, Hiccup! Why can't you follow the simplest orders?"

"I can't stop myself. I see a dragon and I have to just," I paused, wrapping my hands around an imagined dragons neck, snapping the neck of it," ….kill it, you know? It's who I am, dad. His large hand meets his face with a loud sigh before he answers.

"You are many things, Hiccup. But a dragon killer is not one of them," I look around to see people nodding in agreement. Thank you to my future village for the support! Love you too! "Get back to the house," He said. Just what I expected, back to my very own prison cell. They use the word 'house' as a code word for prison cell. Unless they somehow change the plan and lead me back to my house. Apparently not today! He motions for Gobber to come, "Make sure he gets there. I have his mess to clean up," Gobber comes behind me, smacking me by my head and we start to walk. We pass by the only teenage group in town, which someday, hopefully will include me too. After I've killed that Night Fury, they will finally accept me!

"Quite the performance." Tuffnut said, nodding his head over to where me and my dad stood discussing a few seconds ago.

"I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!" Snotlout, the biggest bully and biggest muttonhead on Berk said, pointing the same direction as Tuffnut did.

"Thank you, thank you. I was trying, so…," I said, trailing off as I saw Astrid staring at me with sorrowful eyes. Wait, what?! Is she feeling sorry for me? Wow… Maybe this day isn't as bad after all. We arrived in front of the prison, without anyone noticing. He locks me up in my cell and was about to leave when I spoke up. "Can you just, talk to him? Please?" I asked, hoping I would get away with the normal routine in my cell. He handed me the key and let out a loud sigh.

"I'll try, but you know, he is as stubborn as a rock! You can lock yourself out of here in a few hours when your father can't see you," He said, giving me a small smile. I couldn't return it by the thought of having to sit here in the darkness doing absolutely nothing. Then, he left. From outside I could hear my father gathering everyone to the Great Hall.

* * *

 **Hey guys! New story. So this will be a bit about the first movie, but longer. I'll be adding more scenes to the 'movie' and change a bit on the scenes thats already known. The story line is pretty much the same except for the ending. Please leave a comment and dont bug me with asking for updates, im really not in the mood for that. Each chapter will be a scene so here's the first and probably the longest of them all! Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 2

Stoick's POV

* * *

I banged my hand with a knife in it to the hard wooden table, leaving a mark in the middle of a dragon's heart on the map in front of me.

"Either we finish them or they'll finish us! It's the only way we'll be rid of them! If we dint the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave. They'll find another home. One more search before the ice sets in," I said frustrated after the previous event of my son. Why won't he just be as normal as the other teens? Is that too much to ask for?

"Those ships never come back," A Viking whined, speaking for everyone else in the room.

"We're Vikings! It's an occupational hazard. Now who's with me?" I yelled, hearing them mutter and disagreeing. Sigh. "Those who stay will look after Hiccup," With that every fist raise in the air, begging for me to come with. No one in this village really likes my boy and I can understand why. He's a disappointment to my family's name. I dismissed the meeting, walking over to Gobber for advice.

"Gobber, I need some help. What am I going to do with Hiccup? Nothing is working; he won't even eat the food I give him!" I said, sitting down on the bench beside him.

"I don't know, Stoick. But starving your own son won't make anything better, nor sending him in prison! If you haven't noticed he moved his stuff to my house," I looked up at him with a confused look.

"What?"

"He begged me to let him stay with me after all you have done to him. You're starving him, blaming him, prisoning him and worst of all taking you anger out on him. He's just trying to fit in."

"I'm sorry. I'll talk to him later. Can you open his cell door?" I asked, standing up and making my way towards the doors.

"Sure, Stoick," He said, somehow disappointed.


	3. Chapter 3

Hiccup's POV

I have to get out of here. The Night fury might have escaped by now! Thanks to dad… Ok, I need to stay positive! I never let go of the key that Gobber gave me, and twisted it in the lock, opening the cell door. This place has got to many memories, and some I know I will never forget. They're like demons in my very own soul, begging to get revenge, but no. Never, never on my watch, I will let that happen. Running out of the prison I noticed Vikings had started to rebuild houses after the raid. Ignoring it, I ran towards the crowded forest of wood. Usually I would go here after dad yells at me, but I stopped after Gobber took me to his house a week ago. Ever since then I haven't really used much time outside, except for walking forth and back from the forge. Sometimes even taking my now ruined contraption on wheel to search for the Night Fury, but never had any luck of hitting it.

The forest is the calmest place on the island. It shuts all the hard working Vikings out as if nature couldn't feel more disgust by them than myself. It's not really the best smell in the air. Always blended with sweat, fish and ash smell. It never leaves as long as the dragons keep raiding us every second day. This makes it also hard for spending time to get the fish back again, and they think killing dragons will make it better. Haah! Amateurs. Its seems to me that I'm the only 'Viking' in the village who actually got a brain. Other than that it's just Vikings following their orders as if they're ants and my father is their Queen, or in this case King.

I take out my notebook with the charcoal pen which amazingly didn't have a scratch on itself. First thing I need to make is a map, and of course I already know how most of the island looks like. Except for the higher points of Berk. Vikings have died, trying to get up to the highest mountain, but rumor has it that there's large caves that goes up and down inside the mountain. Nobody knows what might be hiding in those caves. Every step I take is marked down in the book and possible hiding places is marked as a cross.

After searching for an eternity, I'm finally giving up. I decide to go to the beautiful cove which I discovered almost the second my father started hating me. That means since I'm now 15 I've spend almost nine years there, every single day. Sometimes I would also go there during the raid because of how peacefully it is there and luckily no dragons attack or decides to be residing there. I shut my book with a frustrated expression, hiding it underneath my fur vest again.

"Uggh, the gods hate me. Some people manage to lose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon!" I screamed, kicking rocks on the ground. Not seeing where I go, I walk right into a low-hanging tree branch. Without thinking I whack it, and receive it hitting me back in my eye. I hold my right hand over my eye covered from the light, not being able to open it because of the pain. My feet start walking again, towards the cove. Only a few more minutes away I fall down the hill, hitting the lowest part of the hill with a loud thump. "Ouch!" I yelped, realizing how clumsy I actually am. It took me a while to adjust my eyes due to the blur vision caused by my fall, and when it finally cleared I saw something terrifying.

Tree branches split in two and the same with a few large trees, followed by a massive crater, leading its way to a large black figure. That must be it! The most feared dragon in the history of dragons, and I, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third shot the mighty dragon down all by myself. How is that for a scrawny Viking?

This fixes everything! Finally I have a chance to prove my father that he's wrong. That he's wrong about how weak, clumsy and disappointment for him. I hide behind a huge boulder, feeling the dagger poke my back almost eager to come out of its shelter. I do as the dagger plead, taking it out from my fur vest and protecting me from the vicious beast laying only a few inches away from my positioning. My mind decides to walk forward. After all I do have some protection and it's not like the dragon can get free from that trap. If it could it would have done it already.

"I'm going to kill you dragon, be prepared you vicious little demon. You see this?" I asked, holding out my dagger, "This is made from my mother and she will gladly be with me as I avenge her death. Thanks to you dragons, my life has been a disaster, and if you didn't take my mother that night you wouldn't be here right now," A tear escaped my eye as I mentioned my mother. Which my father also blames me for. She was kidnapped by a dragon when I was barely a year old. How can someone blame me for doing something I don't remember? The only reason I know this is by Gobber, but he wouldn't want me to know the rest and know it's clearer than ever that I don't want to know. What the dragons did to her.

"This is your final moment," I said, taking the dagger above my head. My father used to tell me that the ones that kill is a murderer. Well there goes the village… He always told me to not look into the victim's eyes, that it would only make you weaker. And my mistake now, is that I disobeyed my father and looked deeply into his green eyes, formed as slits. I can see his eyes reflecting my own. No. This isn't going to stop me. I take the dagger higher this time and look down at the scaly dragon in front of me, hearing it whine in defeat.

"I can't do this," I said, dropping the dagger on my head. I look into its eyes again as it had opened by my own words of defeat. In its eyes I can see how frightened, sad, hurt and alone it really is. Maybe dragons aren't what we think they are. Every living creature has a soul, then who said everyone didn't have feelings? I don't know how, but somehow I will change their thought. I just have to believe I can and that's the only thing that can protect me. Faith.

"I'm sorry," I said, walking towards the creature with the dagger in my hand. Its head went down to the ground with the same sound of defeat. I used the dagger to free the dragon from the bola, hoping nothing had happened. Even if it was in pain I still refused to think of anything bad about the creature. The last rope was loose and I backed away, watching the dragon stand up on its feet, shaking its head. His eyes met my gaze and I prepared for the worst. I could feel it come closer and for every step it took I backed away. Afraid of what it might do next. Is it going to kill me? Eat me? A slow and painful death? Probably.

It pinned me to a stone with his right front paw holding me down. Unable to move, I looked into its eyes that no longer are slits, but round as a cube. Still terrified I tried to get out of it grip when suddenly it started to lick me. Lick me! Wait, lick me?

"Woah, hey there boy. That's just disgusting you know," I said nervously chuckling. Somehow the fair in my body have faded away, making me feel actually comfortable. I smiled when it sat down in front of me on his tail. The dragon scanned my body, curious and stopped after a few seconds had passed by. And he gave me a, toothless smile?

"Toothless, huh?" I said, reaching out my hand to touch him, but at my movement his toothless smile turned into him shifting its mouth to a growl, revealing its razor sharp teeth, and it flew away. Well tried. I could hear it cry out in pain, struggling to fly, but why? Why can't he just, fly normally like every other dragon I have ever seen? I couldn't help, but feel guilty and then decided to head back to the village.


	4. Chapter 4

I walk back home, well to Gobber's place thinking about that dragon. Why didn't it just kill me? I mean I'm a part of a dragon killing village and I'm pretty sure the dragon is intelligent enough to know that. What would a small Viking like me do out in the woods if I didn't belong here to the village? Would I have been lost? Probably. At this time of day, Vikings would get to the Great Hall for dinner. After all it is just afternoon. Sometimes I wish the night never ended so that I would be more invisible from the Vikings whenever I run into trouble. But I swear, most of the time I am not the cause of them. It's the dragons! What could I possibly do to get them stop hunting me through the village? Nothing. Unless...

"Gobber, I'm home," I said, opening the half burned door. On the roof is a big hole so I'm not surprised if he heard me. Shocked, I tried to hide myself from the sight in front of me. Someone I could wish was just gone on a hunting trip or something. "H-hey, dad. Uhm, what are you doing here?" I stuttered, approaching him by the fire pit in the center.

"I need to talk to you son," He said with a serious tone. Great, now I'm just more nervous. The Gods do really hate me.

"Uh, yes d-dad?" Come on, I can't even say dad without stuttering! He looked at me with a confused face, but shook it off, deciding to answer my question.

"I think it's time you learn how to fight dragons, you start with the other teens tomorrow morning. Don't disappoint me son. I'll be gone for the last search of finding the dragons before the ice sets in. Train hard and I'll be back, probably," He said, taking his helmet and the basket beside me, passing by. I didn't argue because it would end up with him winning anyway. I really don't want to fight dragons, but it won't surprise me if I'm kicked out already the first day of training.

"And I'll be here, maybe," I said, walking upstairs to get some tools for the house. Gobber always makes me work with my mistakes so I should help him rebuild his house. If it wasn't for him my dad would probably have shouted at me the minute I walked in. 'Don't disappoint me son,' How can he even call me 'son'? He's never with me, never cooks dinner to other than himself, and all he do is call me a little disappointment. What did I do to earn this life? Am I really the cause of my mother's death? I have to ask Gobber when he comes back from where ever he is.

I walk outside with a ladder and some planks for the house. The last thing I need is some of my tools, and they're at home. Fantastic... The planks and ladder leans against the house wall to keep balance as I'm off to get my tools. Unfortunately my house is on top of the village, to watch over the town as my dad used to tell me. And already, Vikings are getting back from their dinner. When I think of it, I haven't really eaten much, but with my dad starving me I've been unable to eat enough food to get some flesh on my bones. It's actually his fault that I got the reputation as the scrawny and weak Viking. Well I'm not often called Viking neither. But of course my father hasn't bothered to think of that.

A few steps away from my house I see the so called 'gang' approach me from the stone stairs that leads to the Great hall. Here we go again. Snotlout steps forward a bit closer than the others and takes a fist to my jaw. With a loud thud I hit the ground, but manage to move my gaze to his.

"What's wrong buddy? Got something in your eye?" He asked, laughing together with the twins. I looked over at Astrid and her friend Fishlegs and weird enough they looked sad.

"Just a fist from the ugliest person on Berk, nothing else," I snapped back at him, standing up and walk towards my house. Behind me, I could hear Snotlout growl and footsteps getting louder. Then something surprised me.

"Just leave him alone, Snotface." Astrid defended me, me. She defended me. He immediately stopped his movement and looked quite embarrassed that the love of his life called him that. Too bad for him that she's not his girlfriend, well yet. We are the only Viking teens on Berk so we will either end up married with each other or some of us getting married to a foreign Viking from another village. His reaction was unforgettable so I couldn't help but chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" He asked, turning red as a tomato. I decided not to answer him because I'm a terrible liar. Nothing would do much good. Instead I gave Astrid a smile, saying thank you and walked up to my house to get my tools and after the fight I will need to clean my bloody nose and lip.

I'm glad that Astrid did what she did, if not I would probably be seeing flying sheep's for the next few days. It's relaxing with sheep's jumping around on the ground, but a sheep flying? Like a little nightmare where the world is falling apart and it seems like the Gods above don't really know what to do with their never ending lives. Really not much of a comfortable dream I'd say.

I walk over to the staircase, leading up to my room where my tools are and also a bit of healing orbs and some cloth I use to clean my cuts from. I found out a while ago that if they're going to keep bullying me and hit me, I mat at least have some medical supplies. The cloth is a faint color of brown, but not dirty. Some of them are a little dry blood on from the previous cuts. I'm not the kind of Viking to waste supplies for no reason. I walk downstairs with the tools in a box and the cloth to get some water on it, but then there was a knock on my door. Probably just Gobber coming to find me or something.

"I'll be there in a second Gobber!" I yelled out, making the cloth wet. Not caring for it to dry a bit, I just went to the door with the cloth on my lip and opened the door. "A-Astrid? H-Hey Astrid, Hi Astrid," Damn it, why can't I just talk to her as if she's Snotlout. Ok, getting that thought out of my head again. Blergh.

"I just wanted to say sorry for what Snotlout did to you. He's just trying to prove himself to be a tough Viking. Which he's not," She said, laughing at the thought of Snotlout trying to be tough. I agree, it's really not that great of a sight. Wait, is she blushing? She is! Wow, somehow I made her blush! Unless, she's thinking of Snotlout again. Hopefully, she's not. Oh man, there's an awkward silence, and we're staring at each other's eyes. But her eyes, they're so beautiful. Ocean blue eyes and small freckles around her face, half of her hair covering her left eye, and that beautiful blonde hair shining in the sunlight. When I think about it, I don't think I've ever been so close to her before.

"Uhm, so I'll see you around then, thanks for the apology, even if Snotlout should be the one telling me, but thank you," I said, breaking the awkward silence. She snapped out of her thoughts which I hope one day she will share. I have a feeling that they're positive for once.

"Y-yeah, I-I should go," She said, griping her axe that she left outside and headed towards the woods. It's where she usually go train. Her parents say that the rest is for the weak. I've heard it from the other teens too, all except for Fishlegs. Something tells me he hasn't heard it before. Astrid is also known to be the best axe thrower in the village. Every day she spends an hour to release her anger on the poor trees in the woods by swinging her axe at them from the distance. Not that I have been watching her… Psk… who would do that? Ok maybe I did for an hour or so. Enough about that. I closed the door and went on to do my business. Not noticing I had stopped cleaning my wound. Hopefully I don't have a broken nose; I'll just ask Gobber later. Maybe now that my dad is gone I can ask him for advice. It's less risky to talk now than when my father is here, but something tells me I want him to hear what I'm going to discuss with Gobber. That way he could know what I'm feeling without me having to face him and say it to that stubborn face of his.

The wet cloth hit my lip, stinging a little, but soon the bleeding stopped and I did the same to my nose while grabbing my tools and walking back to Gobber's. Weird, there's not a single Viking in town, repairing the houses. Hmm… maybe they went with my dad. He always needs back up, haah. Great Stoick the Vast needs backup, and he calls himself the great chief. I should probably give them a hand with repairing the houses. The most of them are damaged by the wild dragons and some places and food is burned after the Monstrous Nightmare that followed me. After all I don't have anything else to do for the rest of the day. First off, Gobber's place.


	5. Chapter 5

Spending seven hours straight of repairing houses isn't really fun, but it's about time I do something more than just 'destroy' the houses. It's not like I meant to cause more damage from the raid, but can you really blame me? A huge dragon, one of the feared dragons on Berk, chasing you. My father would probably want a dragon to kill me already. He's never said anything positive in years, and there's a feeling that tells me this year will be different. I just hope it's a good difference.

All day I haven't seen anyone. It's sort of creeping me out now. The village seems so dead without the stubborn Vikings walking down the streets of Berk. I'll just check it out later. And that reminds me I need to speak to Gobber. I finished the last house and started walking to the forge. My tools usually stay at the forge, but a week ago I got sick so I had to stay inside, and Gobber brought me my tools and some wood to carve or build with. He insisted to take care of me since my dad never does and he knows it. He even tried to speak with him, but like the other thousand times, he wouldn't listen. And I can tell it hurt Gobber that his best pal didn't want to listen to him.

Daydreaming, I bump into Gobber on my way to the forge,

"Hey, Gobber. Can I, uhm, ask you something?" I asked, finding the ground pretty interesting. "Sure, lad. Anything," He simply answered, motioning for me to follow him to the forge.

"I was just wondering about my mother, I just want to know what happened," I said, feeling my eyes watering. Every time someone mentions my mother, sadness strikes me like a lightning bolt to the head. He gave a loud sigh as I sat down on top of a table, watching him doing something to his hook hand.

"I know you want to, and why. Your dad doesn't hate you, you know. He's just stressed and sad after what happened to her, and ever since that night he promised that nothing would happen to any other villagers. He's just trying so hard to keep everyone safe." He started, but I cut him off.

"I know, but please. I need to know this. I need to know if it really is my fault. If it's not I can finally have something to defend myself with if he ever decide to throw me in that cell again just to starve me and yell at me." He nodded in agreement. He's been like a father to me; I prefer calling him dad instead of my own. When I was little I used to call him dad, but now it just seems rather awkward. Whenever my dad threw me in the cell, Gobber would find a way of getting me out of there as soon as possible. It was either talking him into it or give me the keys whenever he had them, but when he didn't he gave me my mother's dagger that was meant for me and taught me how to pick a lock. At least now I'm prepared if someone decides to kidnap Vikings from Berk.

"Alright, lad. But I warned ye, it's not a pretty story. It was one of the raids in the middle of winter where your father somehow convinced your mother to defend Berk with him and leave you behind. But she never went far. She decided that whatever happens she would defend you, and your father, just as he promised her. But something was different, something that made her different from the other women Vikings at Berk."

* * *

Stoick convinced Valka to defend Berk with him instead of staying inside, hiding from the vicious beasts outside. But Valka on the other hand, thought something different. Somehow she had found a way to believe that the dragons meant no harm, but everyone thought she was insane and ignored her thoughts. She never killed a dragon like the other Vikings had. At that time every Viking had killed a dragon instead of her. Once she faced a Gronkle, but refused to kill it as she saw something that made her thoughts come more and more true. She saw that the dragon only wanted to defend its children, but a Viking approached them and sliced the dragons head clean off from its shoulder, leaving the baby dragons alone and ignored. Somehow Valka managed to stop the Viking from harming the baby dragons by yelling out the only sentence as every time under a raid.

"Stop it! You're only making it worse!" She yelled out, stopping every Viking she possible could, but this lost her focus on her own house.

Something caught her attention as she continued, stopping the Vikings from doing more harm. A baby cry. She ran back to her house, finding a huge hole in the roof and a large tail hanging down the side of the house. Going back and forth as in comfort. Panicked, she ran inside with her family hatchet, finding her son playing around with a dragon. This was what she had believed in for so long. If only the village could see everything from her eyes, it would have been better. For everyone. She dropped the hatchet to the ground, making the dragon snap out of its focus and on to her. Everything went so fast and the dragon snatched Hiccup out of his cradle and into its large claws.

"Hiccup!" She yelled, running after the dragon that was carrying her baby. The dragon flew out of the house, and on to the streets, knocking every Viking out of its way. Valka never stopped chasing it, and when it was about to fly away, by the end of a cliff. A loud war cry could be heard from behind her. Stoick had seen the dragon, running away with his only son and he felt anger rush down his spine. He ran towards the dragon, throwing his axe to it, but only to see it flinch. The dragon dropped Hiccup to the ground, accidently cutting the small child's chin, and snatched the woman standing in front of it.

"Valka! No!" Stoick yelled, running to the end of the cliff only to watch as the woman of his life was taken away from his life. He couldn't do anything, but listen to the cries coming from his wife. Standing there, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Immediately he knew who it was. Days went by and he never stopped coming there to say his last goodbye to his Valhallarama.

* * *

"Ever since that night he promised to avenge her death by killing every dragon in sight. We never saw the lovely chief again," Gobber explained, putting a hammer in his hand. I held a finger on my chin where the scar is. I've always wondered how I got it, and now I know, but the story isn't exactly something to be proud of. So it is my fault that my mom is dead. Gobber was about to speak up again, but before he could I ran out, tears rolling uncontrollably down my cheeks. Not seeing where I go, I bump into someone.

"Hey watch where you're…, oh look who we have here, are you going to run back to your mommy? Oh wait, I forgot, she's dead," Snotlout said, I felt an urge of kicking him, but decided not to. He was about to knock me over when Astrid stepped in front of me, knocking him over. I felt a large hand behind me, helping me off the ground. I look back to see Fishlegs supporting me. Maybe they finally realized what morons they've been. Astrid looked back at me, but I walked away, not wanting to have a conversation with anyone. I find myself by the end of the cliff that my mother was taken from me.

"I love you, mom," I said, burying my head in my knees, sobbing in the quiet night alone. Under the moonlight, feeling safer as the moon is watching over me with its small army of shining stars.

I woke up as the sun shone above the ocean, remembering last night. No one must have noticed me being outside, or at least I don't think so. Today is the day of dragon training, which I'm not excited about at all. There's no way I'm topping first place in training and then my father will get even more disappointed in me! Thank you Thor!

I walk towards my house, getting some breakfast. After I finished eating I decided to go to the arena even if the training starts in three hours. What else can I really do? And not to mention the axe my father left behind for me is heavy as a yak! How can he expect me to hold this? I may be able to hold it for a few minutes, but then my arms will surely give up. Unfortunately, the way to the arena is long and I will have to take some pauses to catch my breath.


	6. Chapter 6

Finally, I reached the arena and sat down, back against the stone wall. It's still pretty dark, but light enough for me to draw some sketches. The first thing that popped in my head was a sword. I'm not really sure if I got the metal or the equipment. I'll just have to ask Gobber, even if some of them are super risky to get, I think I will have an advantage for it. Or so I hope.

A few more minutes and training should start. Where is everyone? Shouldn't Gobber be here putting together an exercise? I would've expected at least someone to be here. Maybe I got the time wrong? CREAK! Maybe not. I watched as the 'big five' walked in to the center of the arena. Obviously, haven't taken their time to notice me.

"Welcome to dragon training!" Gobber shouted, gesturing to the arena and the cages. It's been a few years since last time dragon training was in action. My dad even forced me to watch it. This is something I will never be able to clear from my mind. Every time I see this arena, the images pop back into my head. Even a year ago, I didn't think killing dragons was the way of earning peace. Of course it's not! War can only be stopped by agreements. But how do you agree on a 'peace treaty' with dragons that can't understand you or give back a response? "This is where our newly captured dragons are kept, in these cages lays the beasts. From the first and 'easiest' dragon class, is the Gronkle. A Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky, two heads, more danger. The Deadly Nadder is fast and light on its foot. Very sneaky and constantly squawks. Then there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those, and the one to be picked will have the honor of killing it in front of the whole village!" He explained and taught us about our dragons, but of course Snotlout have to start talking.

"What is he doing here?" He said, pointing at me. Clearly, he didn't want me here as much as I don't want to be here, but I really don't have any other choices and it's not like anyone will care if I die, right?

"Training. Now get ready for the Gronkle," Gobber said, opening one of the cages and out came a large Gronkle. It seems distracted about something. We ran our separate ways, searching for shields. "If you ever get the choice between a sword and a shield, take the shield. Defending gives a higher chance of winning. Wait for the perfect time to strike. The best time is when your opponent is distracted or tired. Loud noises is used as a distraction," We did what we first could think of which was slamming our weapons to the shield, making loud noises. I could see the Gronkle getting confused, and to defend itself, it tried to crush someone by flying all around the place while shooting its hot lava balls.

The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, where shot at as they were fighting over a shield, Fishlegs got distracted by being right on his dragon facts and didn't noticed as the Gronkle fired on his shield. Snotlout flirted with Astrid, wrong move. He didn't see as the Gronkle slammed him to the wall, almost knocking him out. Then there are just me and Astrid. I try to find a good hiding spot, but ended up losing my shield. I ran after it, not noticing the yelling of Gobber and the Gronkle chasing its target. When my shield was in my hands, I turned around to see the Gronkle only a few steps away from reaching me. It took his head against my stomach, pinning me to the stone wall behind me. It backed away from me slowly, opening its mouth. Reveling razor sharp teeth and a glowing light, getting larger and larger. The dragon in front of me, breathed out and I felt the warmth coming from the growing light. With that, I knew what was going to happen. I covered up my face with my hands, waiting for the in pact, but it never came. I looked out of my hands and saw Gobber holding the dragons by its jaw, and just as it fired I covered my head again.

BOOM!

Rocks fell on the ground beside me, small ones hitting my left arm. Gobber had managed to clear the Gronkle from me before it ever got to shoot my head off. And I'm glad he did. I don't think I'm ready to die, even if it would be better for me. Shocked, I sat there, thinking about what could've happened, and what did happen. I watched as Gobber threw that large dragon into its cage again, and then he came over to me, helping me off the ground.

"The dragons will always, always go for the kill. Training dismissed, you can go now," He said, looking back at me. He started inspecting me for bruises, but turns out I didn't have any. "You're lucky it didn't kill ya. Get back to the house, I'll be there in an hour or so," He said, walking away to clean the arena.

I walked out of the arena without bumping into someone. Luckily, the gang had already gotten out of sight. I can't stop thinking about that Night Fury. If every dragon kills every time, then why didn't he? Looks like the tough Vikings of Berk knows nothing about dragons after all. Not knowing where I was walking, I ended up at the same spot I met the Night Fury for the first time. Ever since that day I have been thinking of how it tried to escape. Maybe it's wounded? Well, only one way to find out. Search in the direction it was last seen in.


	7. Chapter 7

Once again I ended up in the cove. It's mostly the best and most beautiful part of Berk. No dragon have ever attacked here nor been here. SO it's completely safe and cleared out of dragons. I climb down the stone wall, walking over to the big lake in the middle. On the way I grabbed a stick to doodle around with. I sat down on the grass mixed with dirt and took out my dagger. Sometimes when I'm bored, I walk over to the cove and sharpen some sticks. Just to have something to do or try to catch any fish. And noticing I haven't really eaten much today, I decided to see if I could catch some fish. I left my fur boots on the dry ground, walking out in the freezing lake. Some fishes had swim away, but some stayed.

In the bright blue water, I could see the reflection of the blue sky, and myself. I gave out a loud sight, thinking about everything. My life, training, Toothless. Toothless will from now on be the Night Fury. It's getting annoying to say 'the Night Fury'. From my point of view, it's nothing like the Vikings have told me about. In real life, it's more childish than murderous. Even if it has killed hundreds of Vikings, we somehow managed to make him be the last of his kind. Which is kind of sad, thinking of how sad the dragon might be? Knowing that he might, and most likely, is the last dragon of his own kind.

My thoughts split in two as I notice a black figure with forest green eyes, showing itself in the reflection of the water. That must be Toothless! Thinking twice, I decide not to turn around, just watch it's every move in the reflection. He seems interested. And indeed he is! Toothless reflection disappears from the water, and I turn around to see the black figure breaking a tree branch. His eyes meet mine for a few seconds, but I break it by turning back to my own business. A loud thud comes from beside me as I can see the large tree branch in the corner of my eye. I turn around to face the might Night Fury. He motions for me to take the large tree branch and I did as he told. Thinking for a couple of minutes, he looked bored and tried to explain to me what to do by nudging my dagger.

"You want me to make it sharp for you?" I asked, expecting a simple nod, and he nodded. I stood up, walking over to the large tree branch with my dagger and sat on top of it. At my first try I noticed how long this may take, but if he wants it sharpen something tells me I should obey his wishes. Or else it might get ugly. "Okay, Toothless. But this might take a while, so just enjoy the blue sky," I said. He looked confused at the name Toothless, but then showed me his now famous gummy smile.

After two hours of hard working on the new sharp object, it was finished. The sun started to set, but it's not like anyone would worry anyway.

"Toothless! It's finished," I called out for him, watching him play in the water. His gaze turned to me and he happily jumped out of the water and grabbed the large tree branch with his mouth. Then he went back in the water, trying to catch some fish. I joined him and together we both got six fishes. I gathered some fire wood and Toothless light it up. He got the five large salmons and I got the last one. This is just incredible! Dragons have the same personality and feelings as Vikings. And even thinks the same! Or it's just the Night Furies who is really intelligent. Only one way to find out. Train another dragon.

For the rest of the cold evening we settled down to get some rest. Surprisingly, Toothless came over to me and wrapped his tail around me. I let him do it, but as he did I noticed his left tailfin is missing. So that's why he can't fly so well, and that makes him stuck here on Berk. Tomorrow after training I should build him a new tail. No matter how long it'll take me, I will finish that tail.


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up, unknown to my surroundings for a few seconds. I let my eyes adjust to the shining morning sun and the green grass with leaves on the stone walls next to the small waterfall that leads to the lake. Soon I remember last day and it reminds me of dragon training. Behind me was small snoring sounds, and as I turn around I can see Toothless sleeping there peacefully. The sun looks as if its five in the morning which gives me a lot of time before training. I undress myself, ending up with only my pants on and jump in the freezing lake for a small swim. As I jumped I fell in the water and stayed underneath for a few more seconds until I heard a splash from above.

I swam to the surface to see Toothless swimming around me. He comes over to me with his gummy smile, and with my stupid move of trying to touch him he growls and swim away, leaving me there alone. I get out of the water to get my spear and walk back in to catch some fish. Toothless didn't join this time, but instead he used his large spear to draw something. After I caught some fish for the both of us, I went back up and gave him it. I'm never really hungry in the morning, and I think it has something to do about my father after he starved me in that cell. Still can't believe he would ever to that to me. To his only son.

I walk away from Toothless to see what he did to the ground. When I accidently stepped on one of the lines, a growl came behind me. Toothless was watching every step of mine while enjoying his small breakfast. I decided to test it out again, and I stepped on it twice to receive two small growls. After teasing Toothless a little, I turn to face him and step over the line, keeping my balance by stretching out my hands as far I can out to each side of my body. He softens as I take another step and I gave him a friendly smile to assure him that I mean no harm to his art. Not quite sure what he tried to draw I kept thinking and walking, but ended up next to Toothless. He looks at me with a soft, but threatening look and breathes heavily above me. I take a step away from him, never leaving eye contact. This time I reach my hand, but he moves back a little. I think for a possible way of not getting myself eaten, and as I think for a few more seconds my gaze leaves his. Stretching out my hand again, I wait for something to happen.

As I was about to take away my hand I felt something hard and scaly touch my hand. I turn around to see his snout moving slowly away from my hand again. His eyes narrow and a second later he flew away as far as his wings let him before he failed and landed with a thump on the other side of the lake. He used his fire to burn the ground underneath him and soon he settled down to sleep. Without hesitation I head for the opening of the cove and climb out. As I reached the top I looked back to see Toothless watching me. I look away and try to figure out for a few more seconds what he had drawn. In my vest I could feel my notebook and I take it out to draw his lines. It was less clear on the ground because of the distance, but when I finally finished it, I walked away back to the village and got ready for my next lesson in an hour's time.


	9. Chapter 9

I walk back to my house to find Gobber sitting by the table, eating his breakfast. He didn't leave his gaze from his chicken to look at the door as it opened. I walk inside, hoping he didn't notice, and headed towards the stairs. As I climb carefully, he speaks.

"Hiccup," He said, turning around to look at me. I walk a few steps down to hear what he has to say.

"I'm sorry. I must have fallen asleep in the woods. I should've told you," I apologized, finding an excuse that did not include the 'I trained a dragon and had a sleepover with it in the cove'. He seemed to buy it, and walked over to me, leaning at the wooden staircase. I walk a few more steps down to be in his height.

"Okay, lad. You missed the lesson in the Great Hall. You need to read this before training today. Unless you want to get eaten of course," He said sarcastically, handing me a large book with Berk's crest on it. I walk down the stairs to the table where a chicken leg is on a wooden plate. I lay the book down on the wooden table and open it. Behind me I hear the door shut and Gobber had left the house to get ready for today's training. "Dragon classifications. Strike class. Fear class. Mystery class. Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Timberjack. This gigantic creature has razor sharp wings that can slice through full grown trees...extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Scauldron. Sprays scalding water at its victim. Extremely dangerous. Changewing. Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight," I continue flapping around in the book, every page becoming blurrier by the second. "Gronckle. Zippleback. The Skrill. Bone Knapper. Whispering Death. Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Chokes its victims. Turns its victims inside-out. Extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Kill on sight... Night Fury. Speed unknown. Size unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not find you," I take out my notebook, beginning to sketch Toothless's body from a flying perspective as if I was above Toothless when I sketched him. After I finished my short sketch, I lay it under the word Night fury to see it fit perfectly in with the book, but if I were to draw it in the original, my dad would kill me. Vikings do really seem to only find negative things in stuff. No wonder how we became so stubborn and tough.

After reading through the large book of dragons again, I noticed it had nothing on Night furies. Looks like it's my time to discover the mysterious dragon's life habits. By the door stood three baskets of salmon, eels and cod. I take an empty basket and fill it with all the three different fishes until I could barely close the basket. The book of dragons lay on the table beside my half eaten chicken leg as I walk out of the house with the basket over my shoulder, and head for the cove without getting spotted by any villagers.

Luckily, no one was in town to work at the moment which made it easier for me to make my way to the forest without getting spotted by anyone. If I did they would grow suspicious and ask questions like why I'm carrying a basket of fish to the forest. Actually I'm not supposed to walk around in the forest. My father thinks I'll somehow manage to burn it down along with the village. But it's not like he would notice anyway. I made my way to the cove with the heavy basket of fish on my back, noticing the ropes of the bola. It was stained some places with something red which is my guess, blood. I really did hurt him, and it's amazing he still wants to be my friend. I shake the thoughts out of my head as I entered the cove, seeing a lazy black dragon still sleeping.

"Morning sleepy head," I greeted him. His ears shot up by the beginning of my sentence. Soon his body followed and nostrils sniffed the air for what I assumed is a delicious smell for him. Not for me, I could puke right here, right now. He comes over with a happy but curious expression. I set the basket down, using my foot to flip it over. All the gross fish slides out of the basket on top of each other. Toothless walks a little back from the fish, flexing his teeth.

"I've got some salmon, some nice Icelandic cod, and a few smoked eels!" I tried to get him to eat by introducing him to the fish. Without thinking about it, I pick up one of the yellow eels, thinking he might like it because I don't, considering the thought that he likes raw fish and I don't. I move it closer to him, expecting him to grab it out of my hands with his razor sharp teeth, but instead he backs away. Attempting to get further away, I move in closer. He growls a terrified and threatening growl at me, making me back away. Then I realize he dragons don't eat eels.

"It's ok. I don't really like eels much either," Before he starts to eat, I remove all the eels, placing them in the basket again. I don't think he would be so happy if I threw them in the water here. "Well, I got dragon training. I'll be back later, and I got a present for ya," I said, laughing as he gives me his happy toothless smile. I return one of my own, just not very toothless one. He keeps eating while I walk back to the village, getting ready for my dragon training. Gobber told me it would be the Hideous Zippleback today. I wonder…


	10. Chapter 10

p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Dragon training started and as I was told, we learned about the Hideous Zippleback. It had made its gas cover up the whole arena, and I did as everyone else would've. I tried not to stand alone. Fishlegs backed away from the Zippleback and I followed his lead, hoping the dragon wouldn't find us. Around me I could hear the twins, Snotlout and Astrid scream. They must have met it already. Bucket's fell to the ground and water spread across the stone floor. A shadow comes from the gas which we both assume is the dragon. Without thinking about it, Fishlegs throws his water forward, but misses. I wait for the perfect time, and as it comes I throw it. Unluckily, the Hideous Zipplebacks head was too high, and it hit the floor a few inches away from me instead. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Most Viking teens would panic, but not me. I've got a backup plan. The Zippleback moves closer to me, sparking, but there was no explosion because the gas was too far out of reach. It starts sniffing me, just as I want it to, but backs away scared. I stand up, taking my hands forward as I take a few more steps closer to it. Then it backs away. Perfect. I felt eyes on me, but ignored them and kept on with my business. The Zippleback was in the cage, practically squeezing its way throw the stone walls. Underneath my fur vest I had hidden one of the eels, and also 'dried' my hands with its slimy skin. Not wanting to let the dragon hunt me again, I throw the eel in its cage, making it panic. With a brain like mine, I figured how to close the gates all by myself as I figured Gobber wouldn't mind helping me. When I turn around, everyone was staring at me, wide eyed. I've never had this much attention. Well, I have, but this time it was a positive attention from Vikings. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""So are we done now? Because I got some things I need to, yup, uhm, se-see ya tomorrow!" I said, panicking and running out of the arena. Good plan… Now they would just grow suspicious. But that's a good thing. I need to find a way of showing them that dragons mean no harm, but I also need to find out why they're raiding us. From my point of view, it's like they're being controlled. Sent by someone to do the dirty work for them. I just hope it's not a person./span/p 


	11. Chapter 11

The next days of proving my talent of training dragons, instead of fighting them had gotten me far, and popular. Every day after dragon training or a day off from the forge and training, I would go and play with Toothless. Through the whole week I've been taught more about protection and survival in the wilderness, but of Toothless? He showed me the dragons' weaknesses because he trusted me, and also let me help him with his tail. I struggled, trying to make him allow me to place his tail on. But every time I did, he backed away, whining. As if he was still hurt. That's when I decided I would wait a few more days, by earning his trust. He taught me that eels were bad for dragons; a scratch underneath the chin would paralyze a dragon for a few minutes, his daily habits, and once I forgot to leave my hammer behind, but am I glad I did? Yes I am.

It happened once I was on my way to give him his breakfast after training. Unfortunately, I slept for too long, and I almost forgot to attend in training that day. Which made Gobber a little mad. Toothless was a bit grumpy when I came with the fish, because I would always come before training instead of after. That's when I remembered my small hammer. Turns out the sun reflected on it, shining back on the ground. First I didn't understand why Toothless left his pile of fish, but whenever I moved he did too. Then I noticed the light he was chasing, came from my hammer. I took it completely out of my sleeve where it had settled itself, and started to lay around with Toothless. The next day of training I used one of the shields to reflect the sun to the ground. The so called Terrible Terror chased it and I managed to lure it back into its cage again.

Today I decided to try again on attaching the tail fin I had built for him. He hesitated, but allowed me to try it on. As I had attached it I noticed something was needed for it to hold up, but Toothless got too excited and taught it was finished, then with me on his tail he began to fly. Lucky for him, I was there to prevent him from crashing to the ground by opening the tailfin. The wind had pushed it back in being unable to hold still on his own.

"Toothless, we have to land. There's a problem," I said, struggling to hold the tail fin open because of the wind blowing on it as if begging it to close. He obeyed and landed not far from the basket I had with me, and looked at me confused.

"The tail won't be able to stay open by itself, but don't worry. I will find a way of getting you back up in the air. I promise," With that I sat down, thinking of a way to fix the problem. My first thought was a rope. A rope to hold it up, but then again I will need something to hold on to. I started drawing a saddle next to a list of materials I would need to make this. To the saddle I needed something for safety, so I wouldn't fall of by a sharp turn. Maybe a flight suit too? For protection of shoulder, elbows and it could connect to my harness around the waist.

"What do you think bud? Think that will be good enough?" I asked, showing him my sketches. He gave me an approving smile, lying back down beside me. Ever since that one night in the cove, where I fell asleep and Gobber almost cut my head of the next day, he allowed me to lean onto him. Even sleep with him! Ok, not that way. Eww, gross.

After staying with Toothless for a while, I finished sketching my new inventions and went back to the forge. Gobber wasn't there so it would be easier for me to hide the project from him. To start with I got the rope, and went back to the cove to test it. It didn't work very well. I figured the problem was that his tail was in the wrong position. I always thought the tail would stay in one position, but it changes when he change his flying 'mode'.

After making a new sketch, I found a way to fix the problem a bit. My first taught was fest the rope to my foot, but then I needed support for my foot to stay on. Once I fixed that, I went back and tested it, but it was still not good enough. Then I got an idea. By connecting the rope to the foot supporter, making that the 'leader' of the tail. It made progress, but I still fell off. Then it hit me. The problem was that the tail needed support! I made long metal pieces to keep the rope from jumping out of its spot. That way, I was able to get him steady in the air. Now I only needed to learn his way of flying.

"Okay, Toothless. Ya think you could teach me the tail fin thingy now?" I asked, he grumbled, continuing to eat his pile of fish. "Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile," I muttered the last, but surprisingly he heard it. Out of nowhere he slapped me in the face with his tailfin.

"Ha ha, very funny," I said sarcastically.

He finished eating and I flew out of the cove by leaning my foot forward with pressure. Unfortunately, we crashed. I landed a few feet away from Toothless, and found him enjoying the grass. Maybe all the dragons like this? I picked up some and placed it in my sleeve. It was hard to get Toothless out of here, but eventually he gave in and followed me to a cliff.

"Let's take this nice and slow ok?" I tied a rope around a broken tree branch and attached it to the saddle. Toothless flew a foot up in the air, gliding as the wind held us up. I pulled out my sketch book, and did some test's on how to control the tailfin properly. It took an hour or so, with falling and trembling down the cliff side, but eventually I managed to find the proper positions for the different flying modes.

"What do you say we take this to the next level?" I asked him, untying the rope to his saddle. He gave me a growl, nodding I hope, and we set off to the sky. We did some tricks, dives and drops which was not my idea. Looks like he thought it was funny, listening to me screaming for my dear life.

"Let's get back, I think I'm about to puke," He snorted, diving down to the cove but keeping a low cover. "I'll come back tomorrow after training, last day of being selected. I just hope it's not me," With that I left.


	12. Chapter 12

Stoick's POV

* * *

I stand on the boat, watching the docks of Berk come closer and closer. Gobber walked over to me, giving me a hand, but a shocked expression came over his face as he saw the burned ship.

"I hope you found the nest," He said, taking my basket in his hands.

"Not even close. Any news on dragon training?" I asked, keeping my gaze forward. In the corner of my eye I could see Gobber's face lighten up and a smile appeared underneath his long braided blonde mustache. I stopped to look at him with a confusing face.

"Good news actually! In two days Astrid or Hiccup will be the one of getting the honor of killing their first dragon, by the looks of it. I bet on Hiccup," Hearing the good news made me happy, but curious. How could my Hiccup place first in dragon training? Something is going on.

"Hiccup?" I asked in disbelief.

"Aye, it's weird. He got this thing with the beasts. It's almost too good to be true," He's right about that.

"Where is he now?" I asked him, hoping he was at home or at Gobber's.

"Hard to know exactly. After training and until evening he's nowhere to be found," That's it; I need someone to find him. If he's hiding, he's probably hiding something. It's impossible to have him placing first in dragon training. Or is it just me overreacting? Maybe this is what he was born to do, and we all were wrong all along?

"Tomorrow I want you to send the teens to find him. If what you say about him going off to Odin knows where, is right, then I attempt to find out why," He nodded in understanding, and we kept walking towards my house in hope to find Hiccup.


	13. Chapter 13

Hiccup's POV

* * *

Oh man, I have been too much into taking care of Toothless that I forgot today is the big announcement on who to kill their first dragon. Yesterday my father, along with the rest of our tribe, came back without any luck of finding the nest. I'm a bit happy that they didn't, but also I'm not. Dad hasn't really spoken to me since he came back, but I know he got the news about me and Astrid being the ones to be picked for the killing. What if I get picked? I mean, I'm better than Astrid. She's only trying to kill a dragon every time she comes near one. And with my new 'fans' I have a big chance of getting chosen. Without taking a shower, I go down to get my family hatchet and shield for the last test. I'm nervous, but the dragon won't harm me. As long as my theory about what I ended up calling Dragon Nip, is true. Toothless is not going to be very pleased about me not giving him breakfast.

I walk along with Vikings on their way to the killing arena. They're going to be there to see if the rumors are true. About me doing so well in the ring. I really didn't think getting this much attention was hard to handle, but indeed it is. It's actually exhausting, and making it harder for me to keep Toothless a secret. With the rest of the Villagers I will have to be more invisible and even more careful. Hopefully, no one will notice me after the test.

Without noticing, I had come to the arena gates they opened for both me and Astrid to walk in. I took a fast look at her, returning a death glare. She walks closer pointing her axe to my throat. "I'm winning this thing, stay out of my way," She said, backing away in to the arena.

"Be my guest," I follow her in to the center. The gates behind us close as the cage of the Gronckle opens. I run behind one of the wooden walls to hide from the dragon. I prefer to call them anything but beasts, but then again I'm all alone on that. In the crowd stood my father, smiling and giving me courage to keep fighting. Wow. That must be the first time I've ever seen him smile. And that's all because of him. I give him a weak smile, taking out the dragon nip from my vest. Astrid passes by me as the Gronckle chases her. It turns its focus on me, and as it comes closer I drop my weapons, holding out my hand with the Dragon Nip in it. It stops to sniff it, and as it does I scratch his hose with it, making it fall over. I look up, watching Astrid run towards me, eyes closed while letting out a war cry. She opens her eyes, shocked to see the dragon defeated.

Oh man. She comes over to me, pointing her axe to my throat, yelling curses at me. Gobber pushes her away, and I were about to leave when Gobber pulls me back with his hands.

"Quiet down! The elder has decided," I hear my father say over the growling crowd. Gothi, our towns elder, walks forward. She shakes her head, looking at Astrid. Beside me I could hear a disappointed sigh. Gobber holds his hand over my head. I close one of my eyes, while the other looks expectantly at the elder. She nods, smiling at me. No.

"You did it Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!" Gobber yelled. The other teens run over to me, ignoring the angry Astrid. Fishlegs picks me up on his shoulder, screaming congratulation along with the other teens. They seem to respect me just because I got better at training than Astrid, but that certainly does not mean I do. Surprisingly, Fishlegs carried me all the way to my house, and left after wards. That gave me time to bring breakfast for Toothless. I grab a basket, along with my riding gear and head to the forest.


	14. Chapter 14

Astrid's POV

* * *

HOW CAN THAT RUNT OF A VIKING WIN AND NOT ME? HOW?! I walk behind the teens who carry Hiccup, watching the Vikings celebrate. Me on the other hand? I'm not in the mood of celebrating. Fishlegs drops him of by the chieftain's house and I watch as Hiccup walks in the heavy wooden doors in a rush. What is he doing? I snap out of my deep thoughts as I hear someone yell my name. Behind me is Gobber along with my friends. I walk over to them to see what is up.

"Stoick want you to find out why Hiccup spends so much time in the woods. Try not to be seen," Gobber explained. We nodded in agreement, sitting by a rock to wait for Hiccup come out of his house. I see his back door open, and he runs out, looking around him before sprinting off.

"There!" I yell, gripping the axe handle tighter and follow him with my friends behind me. We hide behind rocks, trees and bushes, without being seen. Hiccup is holding a basket with what smells like fish in it. After following him, we end up in front of the opening to a cove. So this is where he has been all this time. But why? "Let's get some answers out of him."

We climb down the path, keeping our distance. I admit, it's beautiful here. No wonder why he spends so much time here. Maybe he decided to go on a camping trip here in his secret place? No. Seems too good to be true.

I watch along with the others as he calls out a word.

"Toothless?" I repeat confused, looking behind me at their confused faces. I motion for them to follow me while walking out of our hiding spots. We move up behind him, watching him for a minute as he takes out something that looks like some kind of leather harness. Then he notices us.

"He-Hey, guys. Uhm, w-what are y-you doing here?" He asked nervously, looking around for something.

"We should ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?" Snotlout asks, poking his chest with a finger. I grip my axe harder, hoping to scare the answers out of him.

"Y-You got me, it's time everyone knew. I-I've been making, OUTFITS! Yeah," He doesn't seem very convincing. Then out of nowhere, we hear a growl. I take my gaze off of him, searching for the thing that made that horrifying noise. Hiccup looks at us nervously, trying to keep us from moving around. I've had enough of him. I grab his hand, almost breaking it, but enough to make him fall on the ground. As a bonus I kick him in his stomach, and once he fell to the ground I drop my axe on him.

There it was again, the growl, but louder. As I move away from a huge rock, I see a black figure running over at us. Then I realize. It's a Dragon! But the something shocking happened. I raise my axe to attack him, but someone pulls it out of my hands, moving in front of me.


	15. Chapter 15

Hiccup's POV

* * *

Oh man. They've found out. I watch as Toothless runs over and out of the corner of my eye, Astrid raises her axe too attack him. Without thinking clearly, I rip it out of her hands and run over to Toothless to calm him down. I grab his head, pushing him backwards, and then turn around to see their eyes glued to both me and him.

"I can explain," I try to reason with them without getting any luck. They head for the exit of the cove, trying to escape. They really don't know anything.

"Da, da, da. We're dead," Toothless walks away as if it's not his problem. I follow him to convince him. "Where do you think you're going? If they get back to my village, my father will hunt you and me down," He still didn't seem convinced.

"Ok Mr. Grumpy, let's play fetch," His face lightens up, and he bows, allowing me to get on him. I attached my feet in the stirrup, checking the prosthetic tail, and we flew of. We spot Fishlegs far behind the others and Toothless grabs him with his claws carefully not to hurt him and we fly back to drop him off. With no time to land we drop him a few meters off the ground and fetch both the twins at the same time.

"Come on bud, we're running out of time," He speeds up, dropping them both on top of Fishlegs and we scoop off to fetch Astrid and Snotlout. I notice Astrid after having fetched Snotlout, she's holding her axe.

"Can you remove her axe without splitting it in two?" I ask him, he gave me the 'of course I can' look and flew down to get her axe. Then he dropped it a few feet away from her. Surprisingly, Astrid didn't run away, she stood almost paralyzed and scared as she saw us grabbing her. Luckily none of them screamed while flying high above the ground. We landed in the cove with me and Toothless blocking the opening. "Now, will you let me explain?" I ask again, they nodded, giving up. Hahahahaha, in ya face.

"Basically, I shot down a night fury which I named Toothless and trained him," I said, pointing at the not so very pleased Night fury behind me. He ate his breakfast after our little workout, but did not look very pleased by having company.

"Why did you name him Toothless?" Fishlegs asked, gesturing to the eating dragon. I look back, and Toothless knows what I mean. He gives them a Toothless smile, and then starts eating again.

"Woah," Ruff said.

"Can I pet it?" Tuff asked, moving his hand forward. Toothless looks up from his food and growls.

"He doesn't like strangers touching him," I explain. "How did you find me anyway?" They all went silent, but Fishlegs couldn't hold it in. I gave him a death glare and he gave up.

"Stoick asked Gobber if he could tell us to find out why you always run off to the forest all the time. They grew suspicious," Fishlegs explained fast. I hardly got what he said. The others gave him a death glare and he covered his mouth. To be honest I'm a bit disappointed that Gobber was a part of it, but he must follow my father's orders to keep their friendship.

"Aha, is that so?" If that's true, then I'm in big trouble, and so is Toothless, "I need you to promise me something. You can't tell anyone about Toothless." They didn't seem to agree very much and Astrid confirmed it.

"And if we do?" She asked with a threatening voice.

"Then Toothless here will have a nice breakfast," I said, standing up. Their faces fell with a priceless expression. They nodded in agreement.

"What are you going to do about the monstrous nightmare tomorrow? It's obvious you can't and won't kill it," Snotlout snapped at me, earning a punch in the face by Astrid.

"I have to prove them that dragons mean no harm. I have to try."


	16. Chapter 16

Today I decided to go home and sleep there. I'm not really in the mood to talk to anyone. Especially not my dad or Gobber. It's still a bit early to go to sleep, but with my father throwing a party in the Great Hall to celebrate, it's perfect time for me. On my way to the door I can hear laughing and cheering from the Great Hall. I don't plan to go up there with them. I open the door and walk to the kitchen when I saw a helmet and a note beside it. Picking up the note, I read it out loud.

 _Hiccup,_

 _I got a present for you. I'm sure your mother would've wanted you to have it. It keeps her close you know, and it's half of her breastplate. Matching set. I give it to you so you can be safe in the ring. Wear it with honor, and we're waiting for you in the Great Hall. It's ok if you don't feel like coming; you need as much strength as possible for tomorrow anyway. Good night, son._

 _\- Stoick the Vast_

Wow. It's disgusting that he made a helmet of her breastplate, but I'm grateful anyway. I hold onto the helmet tight, letting a tear roll down my eye as I start to remember about my mother. At least now I have something that reminds me of her. I remember a stuffed dragon toy I had as a child. I wonder what happened to it. Maybe my father took it away or I lost it as a child. Since the letter says its ok for me to stay home I think I will. He's right. I need as much strength as possible. Who knows what might happen? And who knows how much strength I will have to use? Hopefully they will all understand, but I won't be surprised if they don't.


	17. Chapter 17

Astrid's POV

* * *

I still can believe he tamed and befriended a Night fury! We can't tell anyone though. But what will we tell Gobber or Stoick when they ask? We decided to go to the Great Hall and be a part of celebration even if I don't really feel like celebrating. My parents would've been so disappointed. They probably are, looking down at their only daughter with disappointment along with the rest of my family. I remember that day they left Berk forever. It was in the middle of a raid. The same one where Valka Haddock, our chief's wife got kidnapped. Almost the same thing happened. Except that my mother got captured by a dragon and then my father tried to get her back, but they both got captured and taken away. Just like the others that died that night, we all believe they're dead. But from the moment Hiccup explained about the tamed Night Fury. My hope got stronger. Maybe they're still out there? Along with the rest of the abducted women, children and men. It's possible, but then why wouldn't they come back?

We go through the large and thick wooden door of the Great Hall, hearing cheers and laughter coming from the inside. Basically everyone had a mug of mead, clanging them with others or having competitions of who could drink fastest up. Me and my friends sit down on our usual table, next to some drunk Vikings. Let's just say it's normal to have drunk Vikings here in the Great Hall. No wonder some call it the Mead Hall. We just use both names.

I look over to the Chief and Gobber, watching them drink mead by the council's table. Snotlout's father is a part of it along with Plegema the fierce, Gobber and two other men including the chief himself. Spitelout and Plegema are the two who's got the responsibility in defense and attack. They just need permission from the chief to do their plans. Without noticing, Stoick and Gobber lets go of their mugs, making their way over to our table. When I see them, I turn around to get my friends attention.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut are fighting as usual over stupid things. This time about who could make the most of the village ruined to pieces. Fishlegs is reading again in that book of dragons. It stays in the Great Hall and is a public book for the Hooligan tribe. Snotlout is flirting with me by flexing and kissing his so called muscles. Yuck.

"Guys! The chief is going to talk to us about you know what," I said, trying not to mention anything about Hiccup training a Night Fury. If Stoick found out, he would probably banish Hiccup. I'm pretty sure it doesn't say anything about not being allowed to train a dragon in the law, but Stoick would think of it as betrayal. That was my first thought, but when he explained the true story behind it I found it more of a friendship and a way to peace. I just hope that he can prove the tribe that we can stop the war.

"You know what, what?" Tuffnut asked, breaking free from Ruffnut's grip. He stared at me with a confused face. For once in his life, could he please just be smart and understand?!

"The Hiccup thing," I whispered, trying not to let the chief hear me. He would only grow more suspicious. Maybe I could just tell him that he liked to be alone in the woods, draw and invent new inventions! Yes!

Cough I heard behind me, turning around I see two muscular men trying to get our attention and they sure did. "What did you find out?" Stoick asked serious. Ok, here goes nothing.

"We found him in the woods, not far from the village drawing. He said he liked to be there because he likes to be alone, and away from all the insulting comments he gets every day. He's back at his house now," I explained calmly. If I were to tell him anything like 'nothing more' he would interrogate me, seriously.

"Thank you," Stoick said, walking back to his mead. I sighed in relief together with my friends who sat there just shutting their mouth. It was weird though. Stoick's face stayed blank even as I told him about how Hiccup wanted to be alone because of the insults. It was as if he didn't even care! Who would do such a thing? Especially to their own flesh and blood?

"Do you guys find it strange that Stoick showed no emotions when I lied about Hiccup being away from the village because of all the insults? It was as if he didn't care at all!" I said furiously. I may not have been nice to Hiccup, but I haven't said anything mean to him. Just ignoring him. But still, nobody deserves to have family that doesn't care. Snotlout and the twins just nodded and went back to their business while I and Fishlegs discussed it.

"I noticed too, who would do that?!" Fishlegs was getting furious too. I don't blame him. Hiccup deserves better. Well, at least he's got Gobber.

"I know! It just makes me angry to see how little he cares about his own flesh and blood. Someone should tell him that," Gobber! He's the closest one to both Hiccup and Stoick. If we talk about this to him, maybe he could talk to Stoick. I'll ask him after the event tomorrow.


	18. Chapter 18

Hiccup's POV

* * *

I woke up the next morning, thinking of how to do this. How to stop this war. How to prove to my father and the rest of the village that dragons mean no harm and that we can befriend them. Tame them. We could be their companions and they could be ours. If only Vikings weren't stubborn, and would one day look at something positive. There's rumors of Gothi, our towns elder, is able to see in the future. I've considered asking her for guidance, but letting it be. Maybe my future is good or it could be bad. One thing I know is that it's impossible to change your own destiny. I got a feeling its good, but it might be bad. I still wonder why she's been so nice to me. Is it because this might be my end? Is it because I needed a way to keep up my own hope? Or is it just simply how elders treat everyone? Good or bad. I guess I will just have to wait and hope for the best.

I walk downstairs to see my axe, shield and helmet by the door. I hesitate, but go outside with only my helmet in my hands. Without anyone around I say a small prayer, hugging the helmet, and beg to Odin that they would understand. The sun was shining, but on the horizon I could see dark clouds forming. Signaling it's going to rain later, or a storm is coming, but it's too early. It's not even close to the deadly winter as we call it. I just wish it's not a storm. It's really something I don't need today. Vikings are already making their way to the arena, carrying weapons. I wonder why. Probably just in case something goes wrong. Most women I have passed to the arena are carrying a weapon and their children. Vikings are such gentlemen sometimes.

My father had already walked to the arena along with Gobber and the rest of the council. I walk down to the last gate of the opening to the arena with Gobber, watching my father holding a speech. I decide not to listen very much to what he has to say. He only says this because I have proven myself, but that still won't make me change how I feel about my past and about him. Astrid came up behind me with a worried expression and without her axe. She got closer and closer, and she… she kissed me! Woah, soft lips.

"Good luck out there," She said, blushing. I'm still shocked that she kissed me just like that, but I don't really mind. I mean, who would min getting kissed by the most beautiful girl in the whole archipelago?

"Thanks, Astrid. If anything goes wrong, make sure they don't find Toothless," I begged her, feeling my sadness strike over me again. I feel sad that I have to do this. It will end up successful or a big disaster. If it happens to be the second, my father could just kill me already. At least then I will be reunited with mum and get away from that monster. Yes. You heard me right. My father is a monster. And I don't plan to ever call him my father again. The gates open and Gobber pushes me inside with his hook hand, saying a good luck along with many other Vikings. Around me I can hear them say things like,

"Knock him dead!"

"You can do this Hiccup!"

"Show him what you've got!"

My first though was what if the dragon is a girl? Ever thought of that?

I lock eyes with my father as I walk over to the table of weapons. Thinking twice, I take the smallest weapon so I won't threaten the dragon too much, and along with a shield. Gobber had told me that every time someone would fight a dragon, they needed a shield. That's why I had to take the shield from the table. I must have gained some muscles due to training because the shield isn't as heavy as the first day. With a small dagger in my hand and the shield in my left I tell them I'm ready.

The door bolt makes a clicking sound, making its way up high. Before I know it, the monstrous nightmare is burning the insides of the wall down.

Definitely, a boy.

The crowd of Vikings grows silent as the dragon climbs walls, searching for a way out of there, shooting fire in an attempt to make a whole in the chained roof, but with Vikings crowding around the both of us, he stops in defeat. The dragon uses its wing claws to climb down lightly on the ground and it makes eye contact. We lock eyes as it moves closer, and I back up but slower than him. I drop my dagger and shield to the sides, holding out both my hands to calm it down. Around me I could hear the crowd whispering a bit too loud to each other. Mental note, Vikings cant whisper.

"What is he doing?"

"Stop the fight!" I hear Stoick say loudly enough for me to hear it.

"No! I need you all to see this. They're not what we think they are, we don't have to kill them," I try to talk reason with the crowd and Stoick, earning gasps as I never lose eye contact with the dragon in front of me. I slowly reach for my helmet and take it off, sighing heavily I toss it to the side. That was a mistake. I knew that. Stoick got angry and kept yelling, stop the fight, but I ignored him. Just like he have ignored me for as long as I can remember. The dragon sniffs my hands, and I've almost tamed him, but something happens. A loud clang could be heard, and both me and the dragon snaps out of the bonding we were doing, and his eyes turns back to its slits.

I back away just in time before the dragon eats my hands off. Stoick ruined it. He ruined everything. How do I know that? There's bended metal by his chair. He made that noise. If only he had waited a few more seconds he wouldn't set my life in danger. Out in the crowd I could hear people shouting and him making his way to the gates. Astrid stood there all along, watching everything that happened by the same level as me. Somehow she had managed to enter the arena, and thrown a hammer at the dragons head right before it got me. I sigh in relief, until I saw her being chased. Stoick opens the gate and Astrid runs into his arms. Don't get me wrong there.

The dragon shoots fire at the gates as I were about to enter them. The fire spread to the wooden gates and I run the other way in hope for it to follow me. And it did. It keeps chasing me for what feels like hours, until I heard a familiar screeching sound. Oh, man. Not now.

The dragon pin me down to the floor with its claws, Toothless shoots the metal walls in to splinters and smoke covers the arena around me. Suddenly, the monstrous nightmare is pushed away from my body, leaving a small scratch on my upper arm, but I ignore it. I watch as Toothless bites the dragon's neck in attempt to scare it off. He backs away from the dragon, protecting me as I lay there helplessly on the ground. Around me, Vikings yelled things like,

"Night Fury!"

"Somebody get in there and help him!"

That's when I noticed no one else, but me and the two dragons were in the arena. Every time the monstrous nightmare tries to get its way to me, Toothless scares him off. The dragon stops in defeat and I run up to Toothless, trying to push him out of the arena.

"Alright, Toothless. Go. Get out of here," he doesn't listen. Around me I could see Vikings jumping in to the arena, but no one else but my father by the gates. Without thinking clearly, I jump onto Toothless's back and he kicks everyone out of his way. Next thing I know, we're out of the arena and into the grey clouds. I look back, watching Vikings stare at us in awe, but Stoick looks more disappointed than amazed. Toothless flies faster, and we fly off to Odin knows where, but I know one thing. I will have to come back sooner or later.


	19. Chapter 19

Astrid's POV

* * *

The plan was a disaster! If Stoick didn't make that sound, Hiccup's plan would've worked, but now he's gone. His father didn't look sad, but sort of happy. Gobber on the other hand, was broken. I watched as some Vikings cleaned the arena, and walked to the Great Hall with my friends.

"It's a mess," I said, looking down.

"Yeah," Snotlout said, following my lead.

"Do you think he will come back?" Fishlegs asked, looking at me with a hopeful look.

"Honestly, yes. But I don't know. I mean, he didn't get any supplies so he's got to come back sometime, right?" They nodded in agreement, but honestly I don't know. What if he never comes back? What if the war won't stop? What if he dies out in the wilderness? No. He's riding a Night fury! He will survive. I just know it.

Stoick ordered for a meeting in the Great Hall, but nobody knows why. Most likely it's about the whole Hiccup incident, but what is it to talk of? That he's going to tell how disappointed he is now? He got no right to do that.

"We need search parties. My son is still out there, and we will get answers out of him," Stoick said with the coldest voice I've ever heard as we entered the hall. "Night patrols will be held in the wilderness here on Berk, beaches and in town. If you spot anything blow the horn four times," Everyone nodded and went to get their bolas, nets, and weapons. I hope they don't hurt him. He's only trying to make them understand. Vikings are really blind. I sit down on our table with my friends and we start discussing.

"If you spot Hiccup anywhere, don't blow the horn. He needs our help," I whispered, hoping no passing Vikings would hear us.

"But how? Nobody knows where he is, and last place we saw him was on the horizon flying away us," Snotlout said. Wow, he's actually gotten a bit smarter. Good impression Hiccup.

"Yes, but he will come back. He won't survive out there for long without supplies. None of us will speak a word about the cove. Got it?" They nodded and we kept discussing on what we would do if he comes back. He will most likely come at night for cover.


	20. Chapter 20

Hiccup's POV

* * *

"Everything is a mess, bud. How can I go back now? I know I will have to today or tomorrow to get my supplies, but how will I do that without being spotted?" I'm getting so frustrated right now. This is all Stoick's fault! Why can't he just listen to me, for once! Toothless kept flying to Odin knows where, and didn't stop as we flew towards an island with a huge volcano on it. Fog surrounded us, dragons flying in every direction. No way. "Bud? Where are you taking us? We have to go back," I try to reason with him, dragging the saddle back, but he keeps flying. Great! Another important person in my life who won't listen to me. We got closer to the island, diving a little under sea stacks. This is really creeping me out right now.

An opening to a large cave came, and thousands of dragons flew down with food in their claws. What does that make me? Toothless flies to one of the stacks, hiding us in the darkness as if he's spying on something. The last of the dragons came in and a Gronckle opened its mouth and out came a small fish. Enough to feed Snotlout one out of three times as much as he usually eats. I know that by glancing over at them every time they would eat and pick on me at the same time. The Gronckle scratches the back of his ear, well as far as it could, but suddenly stopped and looked sad. It flew up, but very slow, and up came a ginormous dragon and swallowed it whole!

"What my father would want to give to find this. We need to get out of here, bud," This time he agreed along with the thousands of dragons who flew out in panic. The huge dragon stood up, opening its mouth to eat us both, but luckily he was too late. A Zippleback was taken back down in the fog. Probably eaten. "Let's get back to Berk, I need some stuff from there," I patted his head and we flew back in the direction we came from. Or I think we are.

We fly back to Berk by the cover of the midnight sky. I made sure we would spend some extra time on flying back. If we flew over Berk in the middle of the day, they would've shot us down to easily. Our only chance is to go by midnight. And so we did. I make sure we both land in the forest, not too far from the back door of my house. Luckily me, the window to my room is still open, and wide enough for a dragon to go through. Toothless carries me to the window as I look out for Vikings. I see them patrolling in the night, but most of them are sleeping by now. He jumps onto the house and walks through the window as light as possible to not make any loud sounds. A basket is placed in the corner of my room for all my clothing to be. I dismount Toothless and get the basket, filling it with some supplies, daggers, my notebooks, charcoal, fur blankets and my harness. I put on my flight suit tightly and put the last of my supplies in the basket.

By the end of my bed I see my fur coat that my grandfather gave me a few years back before he died. His name was Ruthus Haddock. He treated me as if I was his son. Sometimes I would stay at his place whenever my dad abused me. Instead of going to Gobber's place and talk about my problems with my father and everything else I would meet him and talk over a warm bowl of soup and yak milk. Good times they were. I just wish he was still here to give me advice. One of those advices has never left my mind. He said that I would become the strongest of them all. I guess he was wrong.

I place the basket over my shoulders and mount Toothless's back. We fly out of the window and up to the midnight sky when suddenly a Viking screamed,

"Night Fury!" Our attack horn blows as a bola captures the both of us. I take my dagger out of my vest and try to cut the ropes, but my dagger isn't sharp enough to cut through them. Vikings, and as I presume is the whole village, runs over to us with more ropes as we land in the town square. I land a few feet away from Toothless with a throbbing pain in my head. Blood runs down the side of my head, covering the most of my ear flap. Around me I see Vikings in all sizes, big or small, tall or thin, crowding around to see the scene. But what catches my eye, is the big figure with a fur coat attached to metal pads on his shoulders that slides down his back, the muscular arms, short legs, and the long orange red hair along with another Viking with a leg and a hand gone, no beard, golden braided mustache and short legs. I look up to meet the large man's face, called Stoick. He walks closer to me with an axe in his left and nothing but a clenched fist in his left. I try to back away, feeling terrified as he walks over to me with anger boiling his system. Surprisingly, he grabs me by my neck, pinning me down to the ground as he chokes me. I try to breathe, but hardly any air makes it way to my lungs.

Behind him I can see shocked expressions n every Viking as they watch their brave chief, choking his own child to death. His own flesh and blood. Gobber was the most shocked, and I know that he's the only one to manage to stop him. With the last breath I have, I try to reason with him. In a angrily way as he's doing to me.

"You've thrown your lot in with them. You're not a Viking. You're not my son," He says, not loosening the grip on my throat once.

"Yeah? And you're not my father. You never were. And guess what? You might as well go to the damn nest and get eaten by the ginormous dragon yourself for all I care. You've never cared about me. All you've ever done is abuse me, blame me for my mother's death, and lock me up in the prison to starve me just because you're disappointed in me," I take a deep breath as I feel his hand loosen around my neck and continue.

"Tell them. Tell the rest of your precious little village what a monster you really are. You might as well kill me now. Stoick. You're a monster, and that's never going to change," The shocked face of his is impossible to describe. Is he shocked that for once in my life I dared to stand up for myself? Is he shocked that I dared to tell his people of what a father he's been? How he's been treating his own flesh and blood?

"So you've found the nest?" Was his only reply. I'm shocked he didn't get anything else, but that out of everything I just told him seconds ago.

"Yeah, and you and the rest of the tribe should go there. I don't care anymore. I don't care if you get eaten by the queen. You deserve it," That was it; his face went from angry to shocked, gripping my neck harder as I gasp for air.

"Stoick! Stop!" I hear Gobber yell, pulling him off of me along with some other Vikings. Gobber walks over to me and helps me stand up.

"Where's the nest?" Stoick asked, not changing his position or expression. He's really not clear of what they're up against. But why should I care? If he won't listen then it's not my fault.

"Go North for Berk. It's a large island with a volcano on it. But I'm telling you, if you go there you have all stepped in to your own doom," I explained. Toothless gets dragged to the arena and I get dragged to the prison once again.


	21. Chapter 21

Stoick's POV

* * *

How dare he?! He's not my son. Not anymore. I'm going to get this dragon, and later I will kill his precious little Night Fury once and for all. It's still early in the morning, but if we go now we will be there by noon. I walk down to the docks, anger boiling in my blood. Now everyone knows about our little 'family' secret. Pff. Can't call this a family anymore. If only Val was here now, none of this would've happened. When I get back from the nest, Hiccup will learn his lesson.

"Ready the ships!" I yell again, commanding my tribe. They look nervous, shocked and some of them are terrified. But why? We're not even there yet! Maybe… No, it can't be. They shouldn't be afraid of their own chief.


	22. Chapter 22

Hiccup's POV

* * *

It's a mess. Everything. I shouldn't have told him about the nest. It would've been better for everyone. And now we both have to pay the price. Stoick and his people will die, and the rest of us have to suffer for that. All because I couldn't keep my anger contained. I admit it felt good, but it's not like me to do that. I've never been so angry in my life, but still, how could he do it?

The village deserved to hear it, and I saw how they looked at him after I told them about him abusing me. They stopped looking at him as the kind and caring chief. Instead they all looked at him in horror, and from the second he started shouting at me, their looks became terrified. I need to get out of here. I pick the lock with my dagger, running to the docks to see the sun rising on the horizon and Vikings preparing the ships. Stoick has never looks as angry as he is now. He's shouting at his own people, and gains only more horrified looks.

There's no sign of Toothless anywhere. He must still be in the arena. As I watch the Vikings load boats, getting ready to set off for Dragon Island, and also their own gate to Valhalla. I felt a hand on my shoulder, turning around to see Astrid with her friends. She looks worried and scared. Her hand reaches out for my neck that hurts as if knifes is cutting my throat. I winced and she pulled away immediately. Instead of keeping my eyes locked with her, I turn around to watch the hard working Vikings. We stand there in completely silence. It's kind of awkward, but I don't feel like talking right now.

I need to figure out a way to save Stoick and his tribe, but how? I got Toothless, but we won't be able to do it alone. I could try to reason with them again, but it won't work. It will just make it worse. And I would need back up. Who would want to stand by my side? Then it hit me. I turn around with a smile plastered on my face, looking at the teens. They kept staring at the docks, not noticing me before I run to the arena where Toothless and the dragons from dragon training.


	23. Chapter 23

Stoick's POV

* * *

My people finish the last preparing of catapults, weapons and rocks loaded on the ships. We sail off and about three hours later we arrive into deep fog. The exact same place we had searched only days ago, but this time it felt different. As if they know we're coming. "We're close. I can almost smell them," I said, commanding one of my men to pull left.


	24. Chapter 24

Stoick's POV

* * *

Massive, jagged sea stacks begin to emerge in the fog, threatening to rip the ships to shreds. Gobber approaches me, speaking under his breath.

"Listen... Stoick... I was overhearing some of the men just now and, well, some of them are wondering what it is we're up to here—not me of course, I know you're always the man with the plan—but some, not me, are wondering if there is in fact a plan at all, what it might be?" "Find the nest and take it." "

Ah. Of course. Send them running. The old Viking fall-back. Nice and simple." I could hear dragon sounds out in the distance while Gobber kept speaking. "Shhh." I cross to the stern of the ship and grab the tiller, moving the helmsman out of the way.

"Step aside." I pull the ship into a turn. Without noticing it we hit something that seems to be land, but covered in small lava stones. I jump out of the ship and everything goes silent. No dragon noises and no voices to be heard. Standing up, I motion for the last of my army to settle against the shore. The rest of my war council comes up behind me, looking over my shoulders as I draw our attack plan.

"We need five catapults tops, one in the middle and two on both left and right sides. Arm them with stones except the middle one; we will use that to light up the cave. The four catapults will break the wall, and we attack with all might," I explained. They agreed and set off to work. Being the chief I need to stay on the front to make sure everything is good and that everyone gets back safe. A chief protects his own. My army had set up the catapults and everything was ready. I raise my hand and clench it to a fist, commanding them to fire.

Over my head, four rocks were shot, one by one. The walls fell down and I motioned for them to fire the middle one. They light it up, shooting it into the huge cave. As we watch the light fade away, dragons were all sleeping by the cave walls.

Is this what he meant? Can't be. They're so small. I let out a war cry and run into the cave as dragons fly out to the cave opening. Without any luck of hitting a single dragon, I look back as the last one leaves. I walk out of the cave and stand in the opening watching the dragons fly away.

"This isn't over! From your ranks! Hold together!" My grip on my hammer tightens as loud sounds of rocks breaking inside the cave reaches my hearing. I look in the cave, shocked as the rocks fall to the ground and barely, but possible, I could see a large dragons head roaring furiously. Along with my people, I run while yelling to fall back from the cave. Behind me came a loud crashing sound and the dragon was out.

We could see its whole body bashing everything in sight. "I was a fool," I muttered to myself, running away from the vicious beast.


	25. Chapter 25

Stoick's POV

* * *

Massive, jagged sea stacks begin to emerge in the fog, threatening to rip the ships to shreds. Gobber approaches me, speaking under his breath.

"Listen... Stoick... I was overhearing some of the men just now and, well, some of them are wondering what it is we're up to here—not me of course, I know you're always the man with the plan—but some, not me, are wondering if there is in fact a plan at all, what it might be?" "Find the nest and take it." "

Ah. Of course. Send them running. The old Viking fall-back. Nice and simple." I could hear dragon sounds out in the distance while Gobber kept speaking. "Shhh." I cross to the stern of the ship and grab the tiller, moving the helmsman out of the way.

"Step aside." I pull the ship into a turn. Without noticing it we hit something that seems to be land, but covered in small lava stones. I jump out of the ship and everything goes silent. No dragon noises and no voices to be heard. Standing up, I motion for the last of my army to settle against the shore. The rest of my war council comes up behind me, looking over my shoulders as I draw our attack plan.

"We need five catapults tops, one in the middle and two on both left and right sides. Arm them with stones except the middle one; we will use that to light up the cave. The four catapults will break the wall, and we attack with all might," I explained. They agreed and set off to work. Being the chief I need to stay on the front to make sure everything is good and that everyone gets back safe. A chief protects his own. My army had set up the catapults and everything was ready. I raise my hand and clench it to a fist, commanding them to fire.

Over my head, four rocks were shot, one by one. The walls fell down and I motioned for them to fire the middle one. They light it up, shooting it into the huge cave. As we watch the light fade away, dragons were all sleeping by the cave walls.

Is this what he meant? Can't be. They're so small. I let out a war cry and run into the cave as dragons fly out to the cave opening. Without any luck of hitting a single dragon, I look back as the last one leaves. I walk out of the cave and stand in the opening watching the dragons fly away.

"This isn't over! From your ranks! Hold together!" My grip on my hammer tightens as loud sounds of rocks breaking inside the cave reaches my hearing. I look in the cave, shocked as the rocks fall to the ground and barely, but possible, I could see a large dragons head roaring furiously. Along with my people, I run while yelling to fall back from the cave. Behind me came a loud crashing sound and the dragon was out.

We could see its whole body bashing everything in sight. "I was a fool," I muttered to myself, running away from the vicious beast.


	26. Chapter 26

Hiccup's POV

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Snotlout groaned, feeling sleepy and bored. One would have thought the action had started already, but instead it was just a clam flight. The first couple of minutes they were too excited to even concentrate on flying, but now? Now they're all just leaning lazily on the back of their dragons, asking every fifth minute where the island was.

"There it is!" I called out, pointing at the red volcano, half covered in dark clouds. We could barely see it from our point of view, but the lava lightened everything up. First they didn't believe me, after those times I decided to tease them by saying it three times without it being true, but Astrid backed me up this time, confirming the sentence. In the distance we could hear an ear piercing roar, and the closer we got, the louder it ringed in our ear drums. Looking back, I could see the horrified looks on everyone's faces, especially Snotlout. But who can blame them?

The sound of a dragon about to fire was heard, and as the fog disappeared I could see Stoick and Gobber not to far from the dragon, probably distracting it. "Plasma blast, bud!" I ordered Toothless. He hit the queen's head, stopping it from attacking the two adult Vikings below its ginormous body. Surprisingly, more blasts were fired as me and Toothless swooped beside the Queen, ending up on the opposite head. The teens followed us, waiting for orders. "Fishlegs break it down," I called out, circling the queen from above.

"Okay. Heavily armored skull and tail made for bashing and crushing. Stay clear of both. Small eyes, large nostrils. Relies on hearing and smell," We dodge the fire, flying back up to each other afterwards.

"Okay. Lout, Legs, hang in its blind spot. Make some noise, keep it confused. Ruff, Tuff, find out if it has a shot limit. Make it mad," Snotlout and Fishlegs moves closer to the queen, and as Ruff and Tuff fly in front of it I could hear them arguing.

"That's my specialty," Ruff called out, almost out of sight.

"Since when? Everyone knows I'm more irritating. See." I groan, flying away from the queen, Astrid following from behind.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, flying up beside me.

"Find a way to make it angry. I need to talk to Stoick. I'll be back as soon as I can," She flew away, helping the others while me and Toothless flew down to where Stoick could be seen. I watch him, not once leaving my gaze with his face. It looked amazed, shocked and impressed? As he noticed me, his gaze turned towards mine, allowing me to look directly into his eyes. His expression had turned to an angry, and what I would suppose, disappointed look.

"You need to stop the fire from burning the ships, when we get the dragon farther away from here, get as much water supplies you have and stop the fire. You're going to need it to get your tribe home," I ordered him. Wait. I ordered him. When I told him this, his expression once again turned to a amazed, shocked and impressed look. He nodded, never leaving eye contact.

"Let's go bud," I patted Toothless's neck, signaling him to fly up. From my point of view, the twins, Snotlout and Fishlegs somehow managed to get tossed of their dragons, either into the water or onto the shores. Astrid was about to be swallowed alive as the air became too hard to resist. We fly high above the clouds, Toothless charging one of his deadliest blasts, and as we dive after the Queen I could almost see Astrid loose her grip on the rope, hanging from it as they were both, Astrid and her dragon, starting to loose strength to keep them from their death. Hopefully, no one else will have to die because of something both me and my father have done. Toothless fire the plasma blast, making a huge explosion just below the queen's chin.

Astrid loosens her grip on the rope, falling from her dragon. We take a loop before diving toward her. As we pass her, the screaming stops. I look down to see Astrid in Toothless's paw, smiling back at my dragon. We fly low, next to the rest of Stoick's tribe, letting Astrid stand by herself on the ground.

"Okay, bud. We need to get it away from the boats." We fly high up in the clouds, turning around to dive down towards the queen. Toothless shoots his plasma blast, knocking the queen of guard. We fly back up, watching the massive dragon slowly stand up, spreading its injured wings. It starts flapping its wings, flying closer and closer in our direction.

Toothless speeds up, trying to avoid the both off us being swallowed whole. I look back just as it's about to fire, but notice something. There's a green type of gas, growing on the inside of its mouth. Something must be lighten it up from the inside! What if…?

Without ordering Toothless, he dodges the attack, flying up towards the dark clouds. Ahh. Now I get it. My hold on his saddle tightens as I look back to make sure everything is going as I plan. The Queen flaps its enormous wings. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Vikings making their way to the ships. Stoick actually listened! That was unexpected.

I turn back around, lowering myself onto Toothless to increase our speed. Once we got up in the clouds, I can't see anything, and my guess is neither can the Queen. We make sharp turns, shooting plasma blasts every possible place on the Queen's body. One hit its wing, making a whole in it that we soon flew through, trying to get to the front of it. The Queen notices us in front of itself and it starts making its way to us. We dive down, farther away from the boats where everyone else is.

"Keep going bud. Almost there, almost there," I encourage him to keep going, whispering for him to charge his blast. As the ground becomes more visible I could hear the sound that always sends shivers down my spine.

Just like I hoped, the Queen gather as much green gas it can and when it's about to shoot Toothless turns around, making me face the ground instead. He knows what I meant to do as he shoots the plasma out of his mouth and into our opponent's. An explosion shows itself in its mouth, growing larger and larger by the second, and its wings falling apart. Toothless turns around to keep our balance, flying away from being crushed.

The Queen hit the ground beneath us, making a huge explosion after itself. We struggle to dodge the Queen's remaining spikes, trying to outrun, or outfly in this case, the fire. Looking back I can see Toothless's tail burning up. Why haven't I noticed?

Looking back up, unexpectedly seeing the large remaining tail, falling towards us. I try to position his tail, but looking back I can see the cloth rip off just before it's eaten by the hungry flames underneath.

"No, No!" I yell out, waiting for impact. The impact comes, almost knocking me out, but enough to knock me off of Toothless's saddle. A yelp escapes both, me and Toothless's mouths as I fall towards the hungry flames. The last thing I see is Toothless desperately flying towards me, and then it all went black.


	27. Chapter 27

Stoick's POV

* * *

The big explosion started to fade and ash was in the thick air falling above our heads. "Hiccup! Hiccup!?" I yelled, desperately trying to find my only son. I haven't seen him in the air since the very start of the big fight. Everyone was looking for my son on my command. The teens flew in the air on their new dragons. It's amazing how my little Hiccup could bring our worlds together after 300 years of killing them. I lost all hope after hours of searching and the Vikings were tired.

My knees felt weak as I fell to the ground and a tear escaped my eye. I felt a large hand on my shoulder. I could recognize that hand everywhere and anytime. It was Gobber. He gave me a sad look and went back to the villagers and told them to stop the search.

"I'm sorry Stoick. He was a good kid," He told me. I went over to the villagers and told the men who sailed the boats to go back to Berk and get more ships. All our ships had been destroyed under the battle. Only hope of getting home was by dragons.

Astrid wasn't by the crowd so I went searching for her. I saw a blue Nadder and a crying blonde girl, not far from the dragon. I put a hand on her shoulder and she almost jumped. Her eyes were red of all the tears she had released. After a few seconds of silence she hugged me and cried in my chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for all the mean things I said to him and everything I did. I'm sorry for my behavior. And now… there's no chance of saying I'm sorry," She cried, buried in my chest.

"Shh, its ok lass, everything is going to be ok. Shh," I tried to comfort her, but I realized I was horrible at it. I never tried to comfort or even listen to Hiccup. Tears escaped my eyes as I thought of how bad of a father I had been through the years. I'm not a father. I'm only a man who can't even raise a child. I told Astrid she had to bring people back on her dragon.

"We will stay here and search for Hiccup. You go back to the Village and be the leader while I'm gone. Order some of the village to send three boats here and bring one boat for Hiccup's funeral. He deserved better than this, and he deserves to be honored as a Viking, friend, Hero and a son," She obeyed my orders and took one of the sailors on the back of her Dragon. The rest who stayed behind relaxed and waited for the ships to come. I wanted to search all day long, but I knew there was no use. My boy is gone, and he is never coming back and I will never have my chance to say I'm sorry. For not listening, for not being there, for not being a father when he needed it the most and for being a nightmare to my one and only son. My own flesh and blood and the only thing I have left off Valhallarama. Now they're both gone. I remember him telling me about my nest. How he hoped I would go and die, but a part of him also begged me not to, and I wish I listened to that the most.

Now we both have to pay the price. He died a hero, and I'm left alone in this lonely world. How am I supposed to live, knowing that my family has been taken from me? And worst off all, how am I supposed to live, knowing that it was my entire fault? If I had just accepted him for who he was, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Out in the distance I could hear a faint dragon roar. It's not the mighty roars, but this time, more like a dragon in pain. Looking back, I could see most of the warriors had noticed. Without saying anything I run towards the sound as fast as my feet can run. Behind me I could hear the rest of my people following with their shields and weapons just in case. The ashes started to fade, making it easier for all of us to see. The roar became louder, and then it stopped. But we kept running, knowing where it might be now. To my surprise we found the source, but it was not a pretty one. A few men was holding a black dragon down to the ground, chaining it up. Wait, I know that dragon. It's Toothless!

We run towards the dragon, ready to attack at any second. If my son was alive, I know he would want his best friend to be fine. With all my might I let out a war cry, running to the shores where several ships were. The crest was familiar, but I can't remember it. Toothless was being dragged onto the ship, chained up to the wooden deck. Then I heard something I could dream to hear again.

"Well, well, aren't ya a nice Night fury eh?" Alvin the Treacherous laughed. What is he doing here? More importantly, what is he doing with Toothless? "Would be ashamed if something happened to this rider of yours," He walked over to the mast of the ship, unfolding a small dagger, pinning it up to something attached to the mast. Alvin must have noticed us, as he commanded his men to shoot arrows, ordering them to board the ship.

We stood as close as we could, watching the ship turn to the opposite direction. Before they were out of reach I noticed something tied to the mast, well more like someone. The person had small and thin arms, green tunic with burn marks on the man's wrists. The only person I could think of is my son, but how?


	28. Chapter 28

**Okay so I know how horrible the chapters up to now have been and writing in first person isn't my speciality. I was simply testing it out, and seeing now how it turned out, I've decided that from here on out every chapter will be from the narrator's perspective.**

* * *

On the ship, heading for Outcast Island was Alvin the Treacherous talking with his men. Some of them say it's a miracle that they found Hiccup there along with the Night Fury. The unholy offspring of lightening and death itself. But some says it's just fate. Alvin on the other hand found it more as a reward. A reward for struggling to keep the dragons away from his island, but keeping so many a live, almost in one piece.

He's still not sure what to do with the boy and his dragon. He could ask him to train his dragon. As long as the boy doesn't find out why he wants them trained. If he does, Alvin will have to make him do what he asks for. Torture is a way, but a small body like that? He won't last for long, and already with an injured food. At least now he knows the boy have got no chance of escaping. One of his men asked him if they should fix his leg from bleeding him out dry, but Alvin just responded with a fist to the soldiers face.

"It's not our fault he's injured. If the boy is smart enough he will give us the answers we're searching for and then we will fix his leg, if not he could take that as step one of torture," Alvin walked over to the mast of the ship, looking at the pale boy hanging there, almost as if he's lifeless. Just to make sure, Alvin put his hand on the boy's neck to check the pulse. It was weak, but at least the boy was alive. "I need this boy awake," He commanded. One of his men came beside him with a bucket of salty water, splashing it at the boy's face. Just as the chief wanted, the boy woke up.

"Wha…,?" The boy said, opening his eyes slowly. His vision was blurry; he couldn't make out what the voices around him were saying. His eyes opened wide, only to be squeezed shut, groaning in pain of the massive headache and his left leg screaming in pain. Without having noticed before, he struggled to move his hands, noticing that they were tied above his head. He forces his eyes to open, still blurry, but this time he could hear loud and clear.

"Morning sunshine," Alvin smirked, hiding his knife. The boy struggled to move, feeling the pain in his leg draining the energy out of him. Looking down, he saw what the problem was. His toes were visible, but blood stained from right under his kneecap. There were holes in his pants that could be teeth marks, and through the holes, he could see his leg practically bitten. It was also in a strange angle, his leg hanging more to the left than right. When he moved it, the leg moved back and forth. This is bad, he thought before facing the hideous man in front of him.

"W-Who…are…you?" The boy asked, using as much strength he could to not show any sign of pain or weakness. He already knew he was on a hostile ship, but why? The only way he would find out was to ask him questions that the man hopefully would answer on.

Alvin didn't notice at first, but once the boy had open his eyes, showing the emerald green eyes he knew who this boy was, and most importantly, who and where he belonged to. He hesitated, but thought it would be rude to not introduce himself to his now new partner for a life time. "I'm Alvin the Treacherous, chief of the Outcast Tribe. And you must be Hiccup huh? Or should I say dragon Conqueror?" He introduced himself, showing his yellow teeth with a smirk across his face by the mention of 'Dragon Conqueror'.

Hiccup was shocked that his enemy knew who he was. But what shocked him the most was why Alvin had called him 'Dragon Conqueror'. Did he know? Did he find out what happened back in the nest? How would he know?! Hiccup was getting frustrated with the questions filling his head, but not bothering to throw away the massive headache. "What…are you…talking…about?" Hiccup asked, finding it hard to breath with the pressure laying on him. Many things could happen to him when he was on a foreign island with a hostile tribe to his own.

"Oh, you're probably wondering how I know who you are? Well you see, me and your father, Stoick the Vast have a past," Alvin smiled at the thought of their past. It was a good day for him and his future.

"He's not my father, not anymore," Hiccup muttered under his breath, but loud enough for Alvin to hear him. Alvin was surprised by the response. He was expecting something like, 'what past?' or 'what do you mean past?' "In flesh and blood yes, but relationship? Never gonna happen."

"What did he deserve to get that title from his own son?" Alvin was getting curious of what his childhood friend had done to his own son. He never had a son of his own. Mostly because he wasn't interested to take care of someone else, but also because Outcast Island was known to be the Island of men. This means no women allowed unless they're their slaves or prisoners. In the beginning it was only an army on a foreign Island, but soon it grew to be a hostile land to most of the tribes known in the world. Every tenth year they would go to an island and kidnap boys, raising them as an outcast solider. Of course that was only thirty years ago.

"Nothing else than torturing, ignoring and blaming his own son for my mother's death," Hiccup said a hint of sarcasm in his voice. If he ever gets out of here alive he wouldn't think he'd be able to face his father again. He would probably keep shouting at me, and hurt Toothless. Hiccup would never let that happen. But then again, where was Toothless? He searched the deck as far as his eyes would let him. His forest green eyes stopped as he saw a black figure tied up roughly with chains and a muzzle on its mouth.

"Let him go," Hiccup said, getting angry as he saw Toothless unconscious.

"The dragon? Nah ah, you will train our dragons, in return you can set your precious little Night Fury free," Alvin explained, pointing his knife on the unconscious dragon. Hiccup felt anger grow inside him, scratching its way out of his chest, begging to leave his body. He was about to respond, but didn't as he spotted a dark, stony island on the horizon. Alvin turned and smiled. "Home sweet home. Welcome to Outcast Island."


	29. Chapter 29

The ships arrived after midnight. Supplies and healers came along for the injured ones. Stoick's expression hadn't changed since he saw his son tied up to the ship of his enemy. For all he knows he could be injured. No one could escape something like that without paying the price of luck. The battle was all about luck. Even with calculations and expectations, no one could've won it. Only luck and his son had it all on his side. The hairy Hooligan tribe lost great warriors in this attack, but families and friends of the victims said it was all worth it. That it was all for the peace to finally settle after the long 300 years of injuries, burning houses, stolen food, more work and rebuilding villages.

"Do you think Hiccup is fine?" Stoick asked, looking at the fog on the horizon where his son was last seen. Gobber didn't know how to answer. He's always the man of advices, but how do you give advice to a broken soul? That's clearly impossible and heartbreaking for everyone around that soul to watch it die inside someone's body and mind.

"I don't know, but what I do know, is that we will get him back," Gobber encouraged him. Once they settled back on Berk, Stoick made a promise that he won't rest before his son is safe and sound. He knows what Alvin would want from his boy, and he also knows that he would do anything to get it. That is what terrifies him the most.

* * *

"Welcome to Outcast Island," Alvin said, gesturing to the dead looking Island on the Horizon. It took several minutes to arrive on the docks. It was rather an awkward silence on the deck for the rest of the tour.

Hiccup struggled to breathe sometimes with the amount of blood loss. Underneath him a blood of pool started forming and once the outcasts cut the ropes, he almost slipped in it. If I could, he would've puked, feeling the nausea kicking in at the sight of his half ripped foot. To his surprise he was greeted by the outcasts after Alvin had shouted something about a dragon trainer. It was beginning to get blurry again as he was forced to walk. Instead of walking properly, he limped all the way up the mountains to his cell where he would be staying. He had to stop several times to catch his breath, but only to be pushed forward and sometimes ending up on the ground.

The prison cell didn't have anything comfortable like back in Berk. Instead of a wooden floor and blankets it was all made of a stone like cave with metal bars that he could easily escape through if only he had the strength to. He was tossed into the cell, slamming his head into one of the outstanding rocks, leaving a bruise on his forehead. When Alvin and his guards had left, he ripped off the sleeves on his tunic, taking off his half burned fur boot, tore it apart and used it to stop the bleeding with. Then he wrapped the tunic around the wound to keep himself from moving it and help the fur keep itself on. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened, and he had an idea of how his foot ended up in the condition it is now.

Last thing he remembered is hitting the Queen's tail, watching as Toothless dove after him, but nothing else. He knows its Toothless who did it, but why? Maybe it was because he was falling to fast and Toothless had to reach him, but accidently bite off his leg in the process. It makes sense and whatever the reason is, he know Toothless never meant to harm his best friend, just like he would never hurt Toothless.

He tried to think of something to keep himself from bleeding to death. His tunic wouldn't hold for long and once its covered in blood it will just roll down his leg again. Some part of him was begging that his father would be here, but what's the point? They probably think he's dead, and he would be soon if he doesn't give Alvin what he wants. He knows that much.

If only something on the island could keep his hope up, but from how he sees it, nothing could. Nothing besides Toothless, but he wasn't here with him so that didn't help him at all. For all he knows Toothless could be suffering after the battle. Injured just like him, and how much does it take to break through those scales of his? Not much unless it's something compared to the battle. He felt his body drifting off to sleep, but was startled by the banging on the metal bars of his cell.

"Tell us how you train dragons, and we will let you go," Alvin demanded, holding a dagger in his hand. Hiccup swallowed, trying to get away the slime in his throat and the nausea started to kick in by the smelly outcasts. He didn't know how to respond. His answer would always be no. He decided to not answer and Alvin snorted.

"Listen here boy, if you don't tell us how to train our dragons you will have to learn a lesson," Alvin smirked, moving the dagger in between his fingers, looking almost skilled. Once again, Hiccup decided not to answer, hoping he would understand it was yet another no. Besides, his throat was too dry to even communicate with.

"Very well, let's see if you change your mind later," The metal bars opened and two outcasts came in, both of them was wearing armor, but the one on his left had what looked like a dragon bone instead of a hammer like the other. Hiccup crawled back, up against the stone wall, trying desperately to escape the two hideous men coming his way. The metal bars were locked again, leaving them alone to do their business.

For the rest of the night, Hiccup suffered many painful hits of hammer and a bone that surely broke most of his bones by now. He just begged someone knew he was alive and that they would come for him now. Whatever Alvin decided to do to him, he would never train their dragons.


	30. Chapter 30

"What do you mean he was kidnapped?" Astrid asked, shocked. She had been told along with the rest of the village, what they had witnessed just a few hours ago. After the meeting she could still not believe a word her chief had told them. Stoick had told them everything, about how he found them and how he watched his childhood friend sail away from them with his one and only son.

"I mean as in kidnapped. Alvin took him," Stoick explained once again, getting angrier by the mention of Alvin the Treacherous. It only brings back bad memories of both of their pasts. Stoick went through the worst of them. He was getting frustrated that his mind wouldn't come up with a plan. The only thing he could think of was his son being trapped on a hostile island, tortured for all he knows. "If we fly to Outcast Island and wait for them to bring him out of his cell, we can take the guards and get him back home safely."

"But what about Toothless? He won't exactly be kept in the same cell as him, if he is the outcasts are really dumb," Gobber said, trying to find a proper way of rescuing his apprentice and his best friends son. He wouldn't know what do to do if Hiccup was dead. He would be broken, maybe even more broken than his own friend. But he found it weird that everything changed so fast. Half a day ago, Stoick almost killed his own son, and now? Now he's broken and desperate to get him back. All he knows, is that Hiccup won't feel the same. Maybe deep down he will, but not on the outside.

"After we know Hiccup is safe, we will go search for him. I want as many ships and capable Vikings to attend in this rescue mission. We set off for Outcast Island tomorrow. Pack up your dragons kids, we will need your support," The teens nodded, running out of the Great Hall to be greeted by their new companions. They were all happy to have new best friends, but sad that the reason for them to be united like this, was in danger and could die any second now. Astrid felt relieved that Hiccup was alive, and worried as she heard he was on Outcast Island. From what she's heard, Stoick's got a past with their chief that includes Hiccup, but not only that. She was also told that the Outcasts would do absolutely anything to get what they wanted, and from what she could imagine was from talking to torturing the victim.

* * *

Hiccup woke up, feeling worse than ever. His leg was still bleeding nonstop and with the extra torture last night he could barely breathe. They had made sure not to break any bones close to his lungs, but still he could feel one poking them. He couldn't feel his legs or arms. The guards had literally crushed them, but he still wouldn't betray his tribe. Somehow he knew Alvin wouldn't hurt Toothless, because if he did, he would lose the leverage with his trainer, and that was not what Alvin wanted. Hiccup said silent prayers to the Gods, hoping someone knew he was alive and that someone would come for him and bring him back home. His thought's was crushed to pieces as the metal bars opened. With all his strength, he turned his head to the side, watching two guards come up to him. This time he didn't dare to move, he knew that moving would be more painful than breathing and in the state he was in now, breathing was unbearable.

The two guards, also the same ones who tortured him, brought him down the large mountain, but as they passed the docks on their way to the arena, Hiccup saw something that made his hope grow inside him. On the docks was outcast soldiers crowded around a very familiar ship. A ship that comes every month, and it was none other than Trader Johann. Johann is the trader of our Island, its unknown to where he's from, but as long as he's friendly, Stoick always allows him on the shores of Berk.

Without caring about the guards, Hiccup tried to yell out in hope that Johann would hear him. All the attention was turned to him, and as he hoped, Trader Johann was one of them. His expression was shocked, but he tried not to show that he cared for the sake of them both. Trader Johann was always so friendly with Hiccup and from when he was little, Johann would tell him his stories about his whereabouts. Hiccup always found it interesting and had a dream that he could be able to see as many places as Trader Johann, but from the minute he was put in that prison, his dream faded slowly.

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief that Johann had seen him, but earned a fist to his face a few more seconds later. "Quiet down slave," One of the guards said. Hiccup looked up at the man holding a bone with a confused face. When the guard realized what he had just said, his free hand moved to cover his mouth with wide and scared eyes. Why did he call me a slave? Hiccup asked himself.

They kept walking, walking away from Hiccup's only hope to freedom. Behind he could hear something about Trader Johann leaving. Maybe he was getting help? Without having noticed, they were already in the arena where Alvin stood waiting. "What took you so long?" His voice wasn't exactly the welcoming one. One of the guards left as the one with the dragon bone stayed. "I hope Savage here didn't drive you to hard last night," Alvin said, gesturing to the man beside him. "Care to give me the answers now?"

"Never," Hiccup answered simply. He could see the anger building inside of Alvin, but it soon faded and turned into a smirk.

"Let out the dragon," Alvin commanded Savage. He went to the gates, pulling a lever and out came a purple Deadly Nadder. "Show us, or get eaten," Alvin backed out of the killing arena, standing outside the metal bars to watch the scene. Savage threw Hiccup to the ground, sending him face flat. He soon backed away from Hiccup, walking over to a wall full of weapons. He took down what looked like a rope, but then Hiccup realized what it was. It was a whip, but who would they use it on? Alvin needs Hiccup alive, they both know that. So maybe he was going to use it on the dragon, but Hiccup sure didn't hope he would. He didn't want the blood on his hands because he wouldn't tame the dragon.

Hiccup had no strength to stand up as the Nadder made its way towards him. He knew this would be his last minute. The Deadly Nadder ran towards him, but all he could manage to do was stare. Stare at the dragon or his own murderer before he would end up in Valhalla. Alvin noticed this along with Savage and they both made their way into the killing ring. Alvin grabbed the Nadders tail, swinging it around and around then threw it back into its cage. The two outcasts got furious as they walked over to the boy lying breathlessly on the ground.

"Get up," Alvin said calmly, but Hiccup couldn't find any way to do so. "I said GET UP," Alvin shouted, grabbing the whip out of Savage's hands and whipped Hiccup once, then twice, but the boy still couldn't move. It was too much for his body to handle. Alvin noticed what he was doing through his anger, and stopped. "Get him back to his cell," With that Savage took Hiccup over his shoulder and started walking to Hiccup's new 'bedroom'.

When they arrived, Savage tossed him off his shoulder not caring if the boy was so damaged as he was now. The outcasts had no heart for their prisoners, or as Savage said slaves.


	31. Chapter 31

Today was the day the Hairy Hooligan tribe would sail off to bring home their hero. It was a similar day to the one two days ago where Vikings were loading the boats with weapons, supplies and catapults. Just that this time, they were to bring someone special home instead of fighting. It may involve fighting, but every Viking in the village was capable to do so if it meant their leader would be happy, and some of them even did it for themselves. The teens strapped saddles that were to use on animals like horses, but it worked fine on dragons too. It just needed some adjusting, but they don't have time for that now. The important thing was that they could fly without falling off. Stoick led the way on the biggest ship which the chief's ship always had belonged to. It was tradition that the leader of an armada would have the biggest ship.

The teens of the village were so far the only ones being able to ride dragons. They tried to teach the villagers, but they were too scared for the lesson. That led them to only have four riders who would be flying the whole way to also make sure it was a safe travel. The last thing they wanted was a storm hitting them in a rescue mission. Most of the Vikings who stayed behind was amazed to see Vikings riding dragons, but their mind changed fast as they heard about the kidnapping. Everything seemed to have darkened in the world for the people of Berk. It looks like none of them could live in a world without Hiccup after all.

* * *

The armada of hundreds of Berkians was sailing for hours until they came over an old friend. It turns out Trader Johann had set sail from Outcast Island to Berk immediately after what he saw. Stoick was surprised along with the rest of his people. Trader Johann wasn't supposed to come back before another two weeks.

"What brings you in this direction old friend?" Stoick asked curious. The dragon riders flew down to listen to the conversation between the two of them.

"Aaaah DRAG- wait, what?" Trader Johann was shocked to see teens riding dragons. He actually screamed like a little girl. Stoick had to throw a potato on the man to get his attention again. "Oh, it's Hiccup. I just came back from Outcast Island and spotted him being dragged somewhere by Alvin's guards!" Trader Johann explained. Stoick felt anger rush over him, hearing that his son was being dragged around by dirty douche bags.

"We know he's there Johann! Did you get a good look at him?" Stoick asked, hoping the answer would be yes.

"H-his leg, it was bleeding badly and he had some bruises on his body. When he called me for help he almost got knocked out by one of the guards. I think they led him to the arena. But why do they have him?" Johann didn't know anything about what had happened since it only happened a few days ago. By hearing the word arena, both Stoick and Gobber knew what could happen there.

"He has this gift with the beasts. We will tell you once you come back to Berk. Right now, we have to save my son," Johann nodded and thought about what Stoick had said about Hiccup. From what Johann knew, Stoick didn't really treat Hiccup well, but what did he exactly mean about 'He has this gift with the beasts'?

"Let's get moving, we need to get there before midnight." With that they kept sailing, leaving Johann behind them.


	32. Chapter 32

Hiccup couldn't sleep for the rest of the day. When he did he had nightmares of his father abusing him and Alvin torturing him. Every time Alvin came to get some answers out of the boy, he refused as always. Each time he refused to train the dragons he earned a whip to his back. As far as he's counted, it was now to be a little under twenty. He knew that the Outcasts were killing him and he's surprised that he hasn't died due to his blood loss. His leg wouldn't stop aching and to be honest, he couldn't feel the rest of his limb. It seems that his foot had been torn apart and he had a feeling he would never get it to heal.

The only hope he had left was that Johann would go back to Berk and tell Stoick. It would take a few days for him to come here with preparations, but what if he didn't care? What if he didn't care that his son was being held on a hostile island? If he found it to be true, he wouldn't care about betraying Berk. He would look at it more as a foreign island or even hostile in his own point of view. The only real friends he ever had been always away or in this case, ripped away from him. For all he knows, Toothless could be going through the same thing. Getting tortured by the guards only because he wouldn't betray Berk. Betray Stoick. Betray Gobber. But where was this all leading to anyway? Death or freedom? The only thing he could do was wait, wait in hope that freedom was in his future.

Finally he decided to try and break out. After being dragged back and forth a few times he managed to memorize most of the underground caves, and there's always one guard outside his cell. He took a large rock in his hands, hiding it behind him and yelled out to the guard as it passed by.

"Guard! Guard! I can't take it anymore! I'll tell Alvin whatever he wants, just please let me out of here!" He backed away from the metal bars he had leaned on to keep himself from failing, and limped back a step. The guard placed his sword to the side and opened the cage. Hiccup held the rock tighter and as the guard was about to grab him, he smashed the rock to his head twice, knocking him out cold. He almost fell over, but quickly took the sword and leaned at it as he picked up the keys and locked the metal lock. Limping, he used all the strength he could find and started to make his way out of there.

* * *

Hiccup had managed to find a way out of the prison, but as he climbed a mountain he saw how dead the island was. There were neither caves nor trees to be hiding behind. He looked behind him to see everything going perfectly fine back in the village of the outcasts, and took that as a queue to find a place to hide. They would eventually find out that he had escaped and by that time he would have to find a place to hide. If not they would find him and bring him back to the torture. Sometimes he would stop to rest his body that was actually doing fine due to the damage. He would also stop to just look back and think to himself; Is it really worth it? Is it really worth escaping the cell? Somehow they would find him and he would just get punished, but there was no way back. Now he had to find a way of surviving, at least until Johann showed up again.

Did he really make it back to Berk? That was the same question crowding his mind. He couldn't really think of anything else than that. His life depends on him.

Suddenly, a horn blew. Hiccup shrieked in surprise, and kept walking. Near the North side of the Island he found something that could look like a tunnel. Without bothering to think twice, he carefully climbed down and started to explore the part or the Island in hope to find himself a reptile with wings. Hopefully a one dark as night.

* * *

Just as the Berkian's spotted Outcast Island on the horizon, a horn blew. That made them wonder, did they see them already? Stoick found it hard to believe, but shrugged it off and moved over to the back of his ship. All the Vikings were looking at him, waiting for an order or something.

"Today we will get my son back. Dead or alive. We take the battle to them and keep them as a distraction while me and some other men search for him and his dragon. I will give you a signal when we find him and you make sure to clear our path for Outcasts," Stoick explained as everyone nodded and went back to preparations. Gobber followed Stoick to the other end of the ship and put a comforting hand on the chief's shoulder.

"Don't worry; Hiccup is stronger than you think. We will find him," Gobber assured him. He was right. Hiccup is a strong lad even if it doesn't look like it. That's why some Vikings should learn not to judge Vikings by their looks. It's everything on the inside that counts.


	33. Chapter 33

Hiccup's feet started to shake and in a matter of seconds he was on the ground, struggling to move. He managed to put himself up against one of the walls and just relax. Relax and gain some strength, but it wasn't enough. Thinking clearly he mentally face palmed because everything else hurt too much to move. If he didn't go down in the tunnel he would have a better chance of getting food, but of course his curiosity had to kick in at the wrong time in the wrong place. He groaned, thinking it would help him release some of the pain, but instead it ended up making everything worse for himself.

"Did you hear that?" He could hear a guard in the distance say. Hiccup's eyes widened in shock and as he tried to stand back up, he fell back down with a loud thud.

"It came from over here," Another guard said excitedly. Hiccup gave up. There was no way he would get out of there, and now he could only wait for them to find him. The cave was pretty dark, but around a corner, not too far away from him, he could see some light and shadows. They were getting closer. Hiccup took a deep breath and tried to stand up once again, but felt his whole body, but eyes, go limp. Large footsteps were heard and the guards had found him.

"There he is! The price is ours!" One of them shouted excitedly as the other grabbed Hiccup tight by his arm, making him wince in pain. He pulled him up to his feet, but they failed the second they hit the ground and his body fell limp in to the arms of the outcasts. His vision got blurry by all the sounds around him, but one sound managed to get his attention.

To everyone's surprise the horn blew again. This time the outcasts freaked out and threw Hiccup over his shoulder as they ran to what seemed to be the heart of the Island. While running he tried to listen to their conversation. "What do you think it is?" The guard carrying Hiccup asked the one running beside him.

"I'm not sure, but Alvin won't be very pleased if we come too late," This made Hiccup wonder. Late for what exactly?

* * *

They were getting closer and closer to the Island and just as they were close enough to see outcast soldiers the horn blew.

"Why did it blow twice?" Stoick asked Gobber. It was weird. Haven't they already noticed them? It could be anything, and the thought of Hiccup made him more concerned. Gobber gave up on calming Stoick when he found out it was no other way but to go get him himself.

"I don't know, it could be many reasons. Let's just hope it's nothing bad," Gobber answered, getting more nervous as land came closer. They watched as Outcast's soldiers form their positions and waited for the Berkian's to come. It looked much like the Berkian's formation in defense, but that must be because of Alvin the Treacherous.

They set their anchors and the war had begun. The outcast soldiers ran towards the Berkian's with war cries as both tribes fought for dominance over the catapults. The tribe with the defeated air forces would most likely lose the war. Gobber stayed behind with the people of Berk as the dragon riders and Stoick went to search for Hiccup and Toothless.

They set off towards the prison and burst the door's open then run inside not caring for the guards inside. Astrid fought of most of the guards along with Stoick as the rest searched for Hiccup. To their disappointment it was only an empty cell. Fishlegs noticed a tunnel leading somewhere and they set to that direction. Stoick sat on the back of the Zippleback as they went down to explore the tunnels. It led to another sort of prison, but this one was different. It was full of dragons. After fighting off the guards they searched in hope to find their missed ones. Passing by Gronckles, Nadders, Monstrous Nightmares and Zipplebacks, they almost gave up hope, but found out they had missed one of the many cell's. It was the biggest cell door and largest cave in the prison so far and scanning the cell they came across a faint figure, black as night and then they realized it was, "Toothless!"


	34. Chapter 34

The guards carried Hiccup towards the killing arena where Alvin and his men stood, listening to his 'speech'. All the attention turned on them and out of nowhere they applauded. Alvin came over to them with a smirk on his face, breaking his speech.

"What do we have here?" The guards let go off Hiccup and threw him to the ground. Hiccup winced in pain, not being able to move. "Looks like your lucky day kiddo. It's the day you will watch your tribe die. Now get up," Alvin commanded him, but he didn't flinch. He was still awake, but had no strength to move a single part of his body. Alvin got mad and took out his whip and whipped the boy once, then twice and then a last time.

All Hiccup could do was lay there, breathing heavily as Alvin spoke to his men. "Form the defense and load the catapults. We're going to win this war. Savage, get rid of the boy for me. He's useless," Alvin snapped, walking away with his men.

Savage walked over to Hiccup and threw him over his shoulder. In the right arm he held the whip he was given by Alvin in case he needed it. Hiccup tried to rest and hoped for someone out there in the war to find him. At first he was shocked to discover his tribe setting foot on this Island, but could it really just be for him? All this war and how many people would have to suffer? This was not what he had wished for. He'd rather get tortured then watching his own people fall. The last thing Hiccup saw before his eyes fully closed was the sight of his tribe coming for an attack. Then it all went black.

* * *

"Toothless!" Astrid shouted in surprise. She ordered her dragon along with the others to melt the metal bars. Once they had melted it, they ran inside untying the ropes and muzzle's on the Dragon. By the time one of them touched the ropes, his emerald green eyes revealed itself. When they had gotten him loose his eyes changed from slits to round yak pie formed one's. At first the dragon had difficulties of standing, but straightens up as he saw everyone looking at him. He let out a soft growl, trying to a sure them he's alright, but then everything came flooding back to him. In the pack he couldn't find his best friend, and he immediately sniffed the ground, trying to catch his scent. He ran in the direction of the tunnel the Vikings had just come through in attempt to find them both.

"Wait! Dragons everyone!" Astrid ordered, jumping on to her Nadder along with the rest. They followed him on their dragons.

Toothless had managed to catch his rider's scent which was weird, considering them not being reunited for a while. He had come up with a plan as he noticed how stupid the guards really were. The plan was to play dead for a while and hope for the guards to get in his trap about them removing his muzzle. Then everything changed when someone came rescuing him. He didn't recognize the dragons or the large man who he almost had forgotten was his rider's father, so called Stoick. Toothless followed the scent by the ground as he led everyone around the tunnels. Nothing would come before him, but finding his best friend. They might have had a bonding at such a small time, but it was still strong, and even now, nothing could come between them.

After a few minutes of searching through the tunnels, passing by Hiccup's prison cell, the scent got stronger. He once ended up in the killing arena, but felt the scent somewhere outside. He flew out of the arena as far as his wings would let him and searched. From a distance he could hear faint cries of war, but ignored them. As said, nothing would go between him and his rider reuniting.


	35. Chapter 35

Savage went down a path that led to one of the small craters. He decided that leaving Hiccup there would be easier, and as Alvin had thought him; never let a slave have the most wonderful death, better make it slow. It kind of creped him out of knowing how dark his chief could be, but he shrugged it off like everyone else. The last thing he would want was to be on Alvin's traitor list. He had been told to be the only one who hadn't betrayed his chief because he never really got to know his real past. Alvin hadn't even bothered to tell his 'servant' that he was kidnapped from his real parents. Savage was only told to have been born on Outcast Island a few months before a dragon raid, where all the women supposedly disappeared. He chose to believe it, and joined Alvin's side as he grew up on Outcast Island and was raised by one of the elders. They were really close friends as friends and that's why Savage is the trustful person from Alvin's point of view.

He threw Hiccup to the ground not even bothering to help him sit up. After all the years on Outcast Island his heart became darker and darker by the years. Other than his 'Outcast personality', he was actually not so different from Hiccup himself. If Hiccup were to stay on the Island for any more than he could bare, his heart would turn as dark and cold like Savage's.

Hiccup winced in pain, still unconscious to everything around him. He didn't have any energy to open his eyes to see where he was. All he could do was lay there motionless on the ground, hoping for a miracle that someone would find him.

Savage was about to walk back to attend in the war, but stopped as he saw dragons and Vikings moving towards him. Quick as lightening, he hid behind the boulder in front of him as he noticed who it was. It was the chief of Berk along with some of his people. He wasn't surprised to the fact of them riding dragons, but seeing the Night Fury free caught his attention. It hit him like a stone to the head, remembering Hiccup. Without getting noticed he ran back down the path he just came from and made his way towards the dragon boy. Once he got there, he threw Hiccup over his shoulder, running to the nearest cliff.

Hiccup whined in pain, unconscious, and his vision all dark. He could feel all the movement and pain, but not even once did he bother to open his eyes. Somehow he knew something bad would happen. Surprisingly, this time there was more footsteps, only more like hurried ones. Like if someone were running. Trying so hard he almost felt himself lift off the ground, he managed to get a glimpse of a crowd running after him. But how was he running? Doing the same thing, he opened his eyes as they were moved to the ground. He turned his head, seeing the armor and same sized man he had last seen before he only saw darkness. Struggling, he used the strength he had in his arms and pushed himself out of the man's grip. With a harsh landing, he landed only a foot away from the man. That's when he noticed something. It was Savage, and he held something that looked like a rope in his hand. Hiccup thought he would only tie him up to prevent him from escaping, until he felt the unbearable pain in his back. Every fresh wound he had tensed up, feeling as if setting itself on fire one by one. He yelped in pain, drifting off to unconsciousness, but before he did he heard a familiar faint roar. Then it all went away. Every sound, everything around him disappeared and got replaced by darkness and more nightmares.

Toothless roared at the sight of his best friend screaming in pain. He could hear the faint heartbeat slow down and the pulse fade away slowly. Without thinking twice he bounced on the man on top of his rider and knocked him out cold. After meeting Hiccup he had changed in to a better dragon. He vowed to himself that he would never kill a human for as long as he lived, and for a dragon, that could be eternities. After knocking the guard out cold, he ran over to see Hiccup's lifeless body in his friend's father's strong arms. He slowed down in his path, laying his head down in sorrow as he could no longer hear the heartbeat or pulse he once heard only a few seconds ago.

Stoick knelt down, placing Hiccup quickly, yet gentle, into his strong arms. He removed his helmet, placing his head on his son's chest, searching for a heartbeat. His expression was strong and eager as he closed his eyes to listen closely, but it soon turned sorrowful as the boy in his arms had no heartbeat at all. "I'm so sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen," He sobbed, head low as his eyes looked closely at Hiccup's face, scanning for anything telling him it was all just imaginations. Unfortunately it was all real life. Neither a nightmare nor a bad vision.


	36. Chapter 36

Hiccup woke up, blinded by the light that was shining in his eyes. He felt amazing. Neither pain nor exhaustion. The light was blinding him as it got brighter. He looked around himself to find himself standing on a line. His left foot on the light side and his right on the darker one. Amazed, he looked around, enjoying the contrast. Looking down he saw no blood, wounds or scars. Only perfectly soft skin hidden behind a tunic, some pants and a fur boots. They weren't tore to pieces or blood stained, just clean, cleaner than he could ever make them.

Without noticing, a figure stepped out of the light moving towards Hiccup. The figure had an old stick in his hand that anyone back on Berk would recognize. It wore a dress that could make it look like one of the gods, and its long grey hair was braided over his chest similar to Stoick's. Hiccup turned around as he felt a hand on his shoulder. His eyes widened at who it was, and suddenly he threw himself over the man standing in front of him, crying in to his shoulder. "I've missed you, Ruthus," He said, hugging his grandfather tighter.

"Shh, It's ok, I'm here, I'm here," Ruthus paused and pulled away, placing his old hand on the boy's cheek. "You shouldn't be here, it's too early," He wiped his tears away from his eyes, embracing his grandchild. They were really close, and Ruthus felt heartbroken as he watched over him the last few days. "You have to go back before the reaper comes after you. Go now my child," He said, pushing Hiccup over to the darker side. Hiccup didn't want to go back to whatever it was he had to go back to. He had no memory of everything that had happened, but there was one question he had been wondering about ever since he came across old Ruthus.

"Wait! W-where's mom?" He asked, tears running down his cheeks. Every time he thought of his mother he would wish he could fall to the ground and cry, but he didn't. He refused to let the people of Berk see how weak he really was. Ruthus was taken aback at the sudden question, but now that he thought about it, he didn't really know. He hadn't seen her in Valhalla which was weird, considering him reuniting with all his loved ones. Valka was just as close to Ruthus as Hiccup was, and it broke him to find out she was taken by dragons, but then realization hit him. His Hiccup had managed to befriend a Dragon, then what if she had too? What if she was still out there? It was a possibility, but he didn't want to tell the boy. So he gave him a clue.

"I don't know, she's not here, that's for sure. Now get back before the Grim Reaper finds you!" He practically yelled the last part and shoved Hiccup further to the dark side. Hiccup hesitated, but ran shortly after, into the darkness just to be blinded by the light once again, and then he blacked out.

* * *

Stoick stood up; holding Hiccup's lifeless body in his hands, and began to walk back to his men. He didn't care if it took him hours to get back. He was too heartbroken to care. To care about anything else than his son. This was his entire fault, he kept saying to himself. The dragon riders walked behind him, tears in their eyes as they stayed in silence for the boy who saved them all. None of them dared to speak, afraid of what Stoick might do. He would probably yell, scream or even cry as he talked to them.

It only took them half an hour to get back to the docks where the war was going on. The dragons protected them along with the Vikings to make a clear path for them. Many of them were shocked to see the heir of Berk dead in the chief's arms. Some thought he was just asleep, but once they looked at Stoick, they knew it was for real. Outcast's was shocked to, and many of their bodies was spread across the ground, but there was none that belonged to the people of Berk. They made their way to one of the boats where Gobber was talking to Spitelout about the war.

"Anyone of ours that is gone?" Gobber asked him, looking in a different direction than the approaching chief.

"None so far," Spitelout replied, getting a new weapon to fight with. Gobber was about to reply when Stoick cut him off, his voice cracking as he said the two words.

"There's one," Gobber turned around, confused at first, but his eyes met Hiccup's lifeless body and his jaw fell to the ground, tears forming in his eyes. Stoick walked past Gobber down under deck to a bedroom where he lay his son down. They stayed there for a couple of seconds, eyes closed as they thought of Hiccup.

Gobber kept thinking of what he would do without his apprentice. He would have to find a replacement, but he wouldn't want that. No one could replace Hiccup with his talents and knowledge, and no one could replace that big heart of his. Stoick sat down on one of the chairs beside the bed, head in his hands as he thought of Hiccup's childhood. No child should have to go through that. Children should be playing, exploring, have a good time. Not being hated by hundreds of Vikings, abused by his own father and bullied by the town for being a Hiccup.

"I-I'll go get the people of Berk to safety," Gobber said, walking up the stairs to the deck. He ordered the men and women to get back to the boats as the dragon riders held off the Vikings. As every Viking had settled back on board, leaving behind some weapons and shields, they set off towards Berk.

The rumors passed on to every Viking, about the death of Hiccup Haddock. Some hoped to find it a sick joke, but others had seen the boy themselves. Seen how torn apart he was. How his skin had been soaked with blood. No one dared to cheer of victory as they felt no need to. They felt no pleasure in winning as they actually really lost. Alvin managed to get his hands on Hiccup, and that was when they lost.

They may have won on the outside, but on the inside? On the inside, they felt more like having lost a great war or been humiliated in the Thawfest games, just ten times worse.

Stoick sat by his son's side, holding his small, injured hand in his large ones. He scanned the boy from head to toe, looking at the wounds he had. It was horrifying to think that someone could do this to such an innocent child. Torture them to get answers. If his son would die, he would've wanted it to be anything but this. Who knew how long he had to walk around with those wounds.

The worst part of the whole rescue mission was to watch Hiccup fall to the ground, getting whipped in front of their eyes and watch as he took his last breath. Stoick felt a hand on his shoulder, turning around to see Spitelout with his son, Snotlout. Snotlout watched Hiccup lay there lifeless. He may have bullied him for all those years just to impress Astrid, but they were still family, and he would never wish his cousin dead.

Stoick let go of Hiccup's hand, feeling a need for some fresh air. He walked away from his son, taking one last look at him. He scanned his body once more as a tear escaped his eye. His eyes scanning the body from his toe, slowly making its way up to his son's face.

Never had he taken time to look at the small freckles covering Hiccup's face and hands, the scar on his chin and the emerald green eyes. Stoick blinked once more, thinking it was all a hallucination. The tears made his vision blurry, making it harder for him to see anything. He walked back over to the side of the bed, kneeling down as he wiped the tears away from his face. Slowly, but surely, his vision cleared and he could see a shade of green eyes looking in the direction beside him.


	37. Chapter 37

He couldn't believe his eyes, but as he listened closely he could hear the body breathing weakly. His face brightened up, and he ran up to the docks to get some of the healers along with Gobber.

"Gobber! I need help anyone!" He yelled out, making some Vikings jump. Everyone was confused, but Stoick ignored it and ran back down stairs. Gobber, Hoark, Phlegma and Spitelout followed behind, confused expressions on their faces.

As they came down their eyes widened. Hiccup's eyes were half opened, fighting the urge of resting. The four set to work and begun to clean the wounds of Hiccup. Gobber removed the fabric around Hiccup's left leg, putting some cloth to stop the bleeding with. Hiccup screamed in pain everything something touched his sensitive skin and burning wounds. Stoick stood behind them all, watching the four clean his son up, trying to save his life.

After cleaning away most of the blood they gasped at the sight of his mid body part. It was all black and blue; some spots almost a faint color of yellow. They didn't have the right medication on the ship to help him heal properly; it would need lots of bandages and some medicine they've got back on Berk. Gobber removed the cloth again as he had cleaned some of Hiccup's leg. He examined the leg carefully, noticing how damaged it actually was. Gobber asked Spitelout to take care of the leg while he went to talk to Stoick.

"I need to speak with you," He said, making his way up to deck. Stoick followed behind with a confused, yet worried, expression as they stepped away from the crowds. "Stoick," He started, taking a deep breath before continuing, "His leg, it's to damage. I'm afraid we don't have any other options but to…," His head fell low without having to say the last part. Stoick understood him perfectly.

"What?!" Stoick yelled in shock. He closed his eyes, feeling all the pressure on him growing. He knew there was no other option if Gobber said so. Before answering he took a deep breath and turned back to meet his old friends pair of eyes. "Do it," He said, leaning over the deck to look at the ocean beneath them. Gobber went down stairs with a machete in his hand. Hiccup was half awake, but could hear the faint voices around him.

"Okay, lad. I'm not going to lie, this will hurt. Go back to sleep now," Gobber tried to soothe him with calming words as Hoark grip the machete and Spitelout stood with some towels along with Phlegma. Hoark hesitated, but aimed right under his kneecap and brought it down.

Hiccup screamed in pain, breathing heavily and sweating at the same time. He slowly drifted off to unconsciousness as the pain became too much for him. His scream echoed in the open space around the armada, letting every Viking hear it. None of them had any idea of what was going on, neither did the riders. All they did was either watch their chief's movements and expressions or they were working on the injured ones. Some men and women took a break, shifting position with some other Vikings to rest their arms after rowing so much.

Stoick didn't know what was happening beneath them, but he sure did know it wasn't anything good. Well technically it was a good thing, but the pain couldn't possible stand for the word good. After a while, he couldn't stand it anymore. He couldn't stand the thought of his son going through something like losing a leg, and he's not even by his side. Moving away from the rail, walking to the door.

As he opened it, he could hear moans of what sounded like pain. Hurried, he rushed down the wooden stairs, seeing the four still around his son. There were towels and some bandages covered in blood, but what caught his eye was the bandage around his son's now amputated leg.

He walked over to the side of the bed, passing by the four of them as they made room for him. Grabbing Hiccup's arm, he squeezed it tight, but not too tight, letting him know he was there. Hiccup's head didn't move as he had expected. Neither did his eyes respond nor his hand squeeze back to let him know he was still there. It was all just expectations. But that was all he did right?

Expect more out of his son? Expect him to be a Viking and not the runt of the village? Somehow he knew everything would change once they set their feet back on Berk, and once his son took his first steps with his new leg after recovering.


	38. Chapter 38

After long hours of sweating, panting and working, the Vikings finally arrived on the shores of Berk, getting greeted by the leftovers. Hiccup was being carried on a wooden board, passing through town and up to his house where they lay him in his bed. Gothi had followed with some of the Vikings who healed Hiccup on the ship.

His leg was amputated and bandaged, but more was needed to be done. Hiccup was getting weaker by the blood loss and the healers believed that most of his wounds, especially his leg, were infected. The symptoms, like fever and nausea, became intense and they were afraid they would lose him once again, but his father never doubted. He said he would become the strongest of them all, just like he told his wife when she almost lost hope after giving birth to Hiccup. From the moment she saw the small body of her son, she was afraid he wouldn't make it.

lay peacefully in bed with Stoick's fur coat blocking out the cold winter nights. Stoick would stay inside every possible minute he could, but his people needed him and chief duties became harder.

Sometimes he wouldn't have time to eat or sleep, only because of his hard work. He would stay inside, feeding himself after feeding his son just to make sure he would heal properly. The healers visited them once or twice a day as it became less work to do for every day passing by. Sometimes the healers had to take care of Stoick after they noticed his bags under his eyes and the snobby walking, even if he refused to being taken care of as he kept telling them he was alright. He kept telling them he was fine just to make them continue on his son. All that was important was to get his son back on his feet and they would both be fine.

One day, realization hit him. Gobber had tried to make him eat and sleep, but he refused like always. He began thinking of how Hiccup would react to his shape once he woke up from his slumber sleep. It would probably freak him out, and that's one of the last things he would want him to. After thinking clearly after spending two weeks in his same routine every single day, he decided to take care of himself as well.


	39. Chapter 39

Days became weeks and weeks became months, but still Berk's hero hadn't woken up. Many villagers were getting concerned about him, even his father. It seems that ever since his son disappeared in the fire he had softened. He had somehow managed to break the angry wall and replace it with softness and love. Sure, he hadn't really been able to show love for anyone the past month, but if his son would wake up, he would probably become one of the softest chief's in Berk's history, that is until Hiccup takes the position. You heard right. Stoick had made a decision with the elders while their warrior was asleep, if he would ever be able to take the responsibility of being chief. They agreed after seeing him fighting the so called Red Death.

Rumors spread around the world about the dragon trainer, but someone referred to him as the dragon conqueror or dragon slayer, and by someone that is the hostile Islands. In the meeting they would also come up to a point of the safety of their dragon trainer. None of them would want Hiccup to go through what he had a month back in time, even if they didn't know surely what had happened, and that made their minds open. Some Vikings suggested keeping Hiccup from flying long distances, but Stoick refused, saying he needed his freedom too. Even after ignoring him for all those years, he somehow noticed how stubborn he could be, and all that was from his father's side.

Alvin had not been forgotten, and if he ever decided to show up on the shores of Berk he would get consequences. Consequences that no Berkian's would ever wish for. They didn't really talk about it much, neither did they get much information about it too, but by the looks of their chief under the newly held meeting, it didn't look friendly at all.

Gobber had spent a whole month working on the new saddle and tailfin for Toothless, trying to understand Hiccup's notes in his notebook. Turns out he had the notebook all along, from the beginning of the very first battle to the end of the last. They had bought him a new one and the teens of the village were working on it with a little help of Stoick. Stoick walked inside the forge too see Gobber looking at the blood stained papers, trying to make out his apprentice's notes.

"How's it going, Gobber?" He asked, looking over his friends shoulder. It sent shivers down his spine every time he had to look at the notes that were stained, and it hurt too much sometimes. Especially to look at them in the same room his son was sleeping peacefully in.

"Bad. This lad's got some seriously advanced techniques and notes which I can't understand properly. A whole month and still nothing but a leg," Gobber muttered, massaging his temple in hope to release his stress. They both sighted heavily, looking down at the papers, but only to be interrupted by a faint voice.

"Excuse me, sir?" Astrid asked, walking closer with two notebooks in her hands. She stopped walking closer as the two men turned around to look at her.

"Need any help?" Stoick asked politely. Astrid shook her head and continued.

"We were asking for permission to look over Hiccup and Toothless while we work on his notebook and see if there was something in his room that would help us finishing it," She explained, looking quite nervous for the answer she would get. All she really wanted was to look over Hiccup in hope that he may wake up from his deep slumber. She wanted to see those emerald green eyes she had not seen in a month. Some part of her was falling for him, but how could she? She knew nothing about him, except for the newly happened events and some parts of Toothless, but nothing else. That remained a mystery as long as the boy lay motionless in bed, not being able to communicate.

"You have my permission, would you mind feeding them for us?" He asked, knowing the answer to it already. Astrid would never disobey her chief and they both knew it.

"Of course," She replied before storming off with the rest of the teens to the Haddocks house.

When they arrived, they were greeted by a tired looking dragon and a sleeping boy. Not the best welcoming, but they couldn't ask for better. Toothless had stayed by Hiccup's side every possible minute he could. He even had to be dragged away from the boy so the healers would get a chance to look at Hiccup. It left some scratch marks on the wooden planks beneath their feet, but he really couldn't care less. Sometimes, when Stoick came in, he would growl, trying to sound threatening after all he had seen from the man. And worst of all, what he had done to his best friend. Toothless wasn't the type to forgive others just like that. It needed time, just like Hiccup needed time to recover.

"Here boy," Astrid called out, carrying a basket of fish as she approached him. She tried to get her attention from Hiccup and to the fish. It was actually the only thing that could move him away from the bed. Sometimes the healers would try to lure him away from the bed with fishes, but they soon found out it only helped when he was hungry. They also discovered he could get grumpy if someone decided to starve him just to have an advantage of getting closer to the boy.

Toothless ate the fish happily, enjoying the Icelandic cod along with some salmon. It was his favorite, well any kind really, except for the eels. He kept an eye on the Vikings, eating the fish in a protective manner in front of his rider. He was afraid that something would make them hurt him, even if they fed him fish, he didn't really trust them like the other Vikings on Berk. He treated them all like the same, expect for Gobber whom he had noticed was the man Hiccup had described to be his 'real' father to him. Toothless didn't fully understand it, but he sounded nice and let him have a taste of his softer side. Everyone else was on the other one.

The teens moved their way over to the wooden table, Toothless eyeing every step they took. As they got further away from him, he relaxed. There were only two chairs, one to fit three of the Viking teens in and a smaller one that was supposedly Hiccup's. Astrid and Fishlegs went upstairs to look after something that may help them copy the notebook into the newest one.

"I don't like the way he's eyeballing me," Tuffnut whispered, never leaving eye contact with the over-protective Night Fury. They had nothing to do but try and figure out what was written in the blood soaked book, but them being the twins and Snotlout, everyone knew that wouldn't end very well.

"Don't worry, it's not just you," Snotlout assured him, looking at the dragon with a frightened expression. Tuffnut was about to reply, but an angry voice from upstairs prevented him from doing so.

"Knock it off down there!" Astrid yelled, covering her mouth as soon as she realized how loud she had spoken. The last thing she would want to do was wake Hiccup and gets yelled at by the Chief. She knows he needs the rest and if he were to wake up now, he would still be in a lot of pain. His rib bones hadn't been properly healed as Hiccup sometimes would turn in bed and leaving a little gasp of pain escape his lips. Only a few weeks ago, maybe two, they had to break some of them to prevent them from hurting his lungs and other organs inside. Gothi made sure he was fed some medicine that made his body go limp. That way he wouldn't have to feel the pain unless he somehow woke up a few days later after the event. Stoick was furious that his son's ribs weren't healing properly and would sometimes blame the healers for letting it happen. But Gobber managed to get his temper down and he apologized for his actions.

"He's a good artist, I'll give him that," Fishlegs said, looking at the inventions on paper hanging around the room. He had to admit that he would never be able to compare his work with Hiccup's. The boy was practically everything, and all along he hadn't been able to show it.

"Yeah," Astrid replied, pushing her bangs out of her face as they constantly fell back in place. They kept looking at the papers. She thought about maybe cleaning it, but she wouldn't want to remove things she didn't know if he needed. By that she decided to help him once he woke up, or if he ever woke up. A crash from downstairs snapped the two Vikings out of their thoughts, and they both went to the staircase.

Astrid looked down in shock as there were food all over the place along with some chairs fallen and baskets spread across the room. She looked at the twins as they hid behind the fire, trying to not be seen. "What do you think you're doing?!" She whisper yelled, smacking them as she stood beside them. They just shrugged and walked back to their position.

"Great! Now we're in big trouble," Fishlegs said, taking a a mop out of the kitchen. They began cleaning up the place, and just in time they finished before being greeted by an exhausted chief. All of them stood in a row, acting as if nothing happened. Stoick gave them a curious look, but shrugged it off as he walked over to them.

"Could you five take care of the dragons? Keep them from stealing food," Stoick asked, getting a few nods in return. Tuffnut was about to complain, but Astrid hit his shoulder making him stop. They went out, leaving the chief alone to watch over Hiccup. Just then Astrid remembered she was supposed to feed Hiccup too and ran back in.

"Excuse me sir? The twins had an accident and we had to make new dinner for Hiccup, but then you came. So Hiccup hasn't been fed yet," She explained, giving the twins a look as she explained it. Stoick nodded in understanding and went to go make some food for his son. Astrid turned around, shutting the door behind her and said, "Okay gang, time to make some changes around here," Astrid said, looking over Berk from the Chief's doorsteps. It was a terrible mess. Food spread all over the town square and dragons eating it while being threatened by a wooden object in the hands of angry Vikings shouting things like,

"This is outrages!"

"Pesky Dragons!"

"Get back here!"

The teens groaned at the sight of destruction. Just by thinking of their new task their shoulders fell limp, groaning even louder. Astrid mounted her dragon, which she had called Stormfly, as the others did the same. They split up to take care of things faster by using their memories of when Hiccup taught them how to train their dragons.

Astrid went to a deadly Nadder trying to get a little girls stuffed lamb. Dismounting Stormfly, she ran between the dragon and the screaming girl, trying to get the dragons focus on her. When she had, she slowly took out her hand, saying calm words to the Nadder. The Nadder leaned in. She put her other hand on the Nadders chin, scratching it as she spoke, "Now don't steal anything more without asking," Then the Nadder flew away to Odin knows where.

Snotlout got the responsibility over the nightmares since he had more control over them. Well, not exactly control, but enough acknowledge than any other Viking. A nightmare set itself on fire, trying to look threatening to the Vikings so they would let go of their fish. Snotlout dismounted Hookfang, his nightmare, and ran over to the wild one. Without thinking twice, he jumped on the burning dragon's neck and it stopped to look at him.

"Hey there. Would you excuse me for a second I've got to- auch, auch, auch," He yelled, running to the nearest bathtub. "Ahhh, much better."

Fishlegs went to the west side of the village to take care of the Gronckles along with his, named Meatlug. They landed next to a Gronckle eating Fish. Meatlug roared at the purple Gronckle as Fishlegs grabbed a fish from the ground. The Gronckle sniffed the air, looking over at the fish in Fishlegs' hands. As the Gronckle approached him he held out the fish for him to eat it. After taking the fish happily Fishlegs was allowed to pet him. "Now stop stealing fish," With that the Gronckle flew off and Fishlegs went off to go help the twins.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut dismounted their Zippleback that Ruff had named hers Barf and Tuffnut was still in the thinking box. There was a Zippleback in the village, burning everything in sight. "Should we do something?" Ruffnut asked, not once taking her eyes off the destruction.

"It's so beautiful," Tuffnut sniffed as a tear escaped his eye.

"Are you crying?"

"D-Don't judge me!" Tuffnut yelled back at her with a dramatic tone. Just a few minutes later a familiar Gronckle landed next to them and off came a husky figure.

"What are you doing?" Fishlegs groaned, standing in front of them while blocking their view. Meatlug went over to the Zippleback, trying to calm the dragon down as the teens forgot about the destruction for a few seconds.

"Hey! You're blocking our view!" Tuffnut snapped at him, trying to see over the husky boy. Fishlegs groaned and went over to help his dragon. He took his hands up in hope to calm the dragon down as the twins just kept watching the action. Somehow, both Fishlegs and Meatlug, managed to calm the dragon down and send it away. The twins whined in disappointment. "Aww, why would you do that?"

"Yeah! You took all the fun out of our job!" Ruffnut groaned, earning a confused face-looking Tuffnut.

"We had a job to do?" He asked confused. Fishlegs ignored them and waited for the other's to meet up with them. A few minutes later a blue and yellow Nadder landed next to a red nightmare. The two riders stayed on their dragons as they went over to the three of them.

"What happened here?" Astrid asked, gesturing to the destroyed houses and wooden objects. Fishlegs pointed to the twins as they stared blankly at them. "Well it's better than sitting on a burning nightmare," She laughed, looking over at Snotlout who was examining his burned lower part. "Let's go, we've got to tell Stoick we're finished," With that they all flew off to the Haddock's house hold.

Landing outside the house, they told their dragons to wait outside for them. Astrid went up to the large wooden door and knocked at it. A few seconds later a very tired looking Stoick opened the door. "Uhm sir? We're done with the dragons now. Thought you may want to know," Astrid explained, receiving a weak smile from the old man.

"Thank you. Could you watch over Hiccup for a while? I need to get some rest," He said, letting out a yawn. Astrid couldn't say no to her chief.

"Of course," She answered. She gestured for her friends to follow her in as Stoick stepped away from the door. They spread across the room, sitting in different spots and positions. Astrid sat down next to Hiccup and Toothless, holding her left hand with Hiccup's and her free hand, stroking Toothless's head.

"Good night," Stoick said, smiling at the sight of Astrid being so close to Hiccup. Well, so he thought.

"Good night, sir," She called out along with the other teens. Just as Stoick was about to close his door to his bedroom, something unbelievable happened. Taking one last glimpse at Hiccup, he noticed a sudden movement and a little moan escaping the boy's lips.

Stoick's eyes widened as he looked directly at the teens eyes, who was just as shocked as him, and back to Hiccup's small body. Another movement was seen as the teens walked closer to the sleeping boy, and then finally, after all this time, the most beautiful forest green eyes was shown once again.


	40. Chapter 40

Another movement was seen the teens walked closer to the sleeping boy, and then finally, after all this time, the most beautiful forest green eyes was shown once again. His eyes showed a weak soul inside a weak body. No one dared to say anything as Hiccup tried to sit up, but failed. Stoick went over to his son, letting him sit in his bed. Hiccup yelped in pain, feeling some of the pain from his broken ribs kick in. Once Hiccup had sit up right, Toothless licked him like a maniac.

"Eww, Toothless. That's disgust- TOOTHLESS! Oh I've missed you so much buddy!" He said happily scratching his dragon's chin. Stoick couldn't help but smile as he saw how strong the bond between them was. Hiccup looked up to see the smiling faces of the teens and his father. Everything came back to him like a flash of lighting striking. Everything about his father, the red death, Alvin and Savage.

"How are you feeling, son?" Stoick asked, sitting down next to Hiccup's bed. Hiccup was shocked as he heard the word son. Now his father decided to care? He tried to find an answer without calling him by his name or the word father, not caring how long it would take him. Right now he just wanted to relax instead of fighting with his dad. Especially when he cared for him.

"I'm okay," He lied, looking away from his father's eyes and back to meet Toothless's.

"T-That's go-," Stoick was cut off by a knock on the door, breaking the awkward conversation. He turned around to answer, but the door suddenly opened, reveling a talking one handed and one legged man.

I brought his leg! I thought that maybe he would want to walk when he woke…up," Gobber spoke, but slowed down as he noticed Hiccup sitting there with wide eyes. Without thinking straight he responded by waving his hand with the prosthetic leg in it, making Stoick face palm.

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup asked shocked and confused at the same time. His eyes examined the peg leg that could impossibly fit neither Gobber nor Stoick.

"So, you haven't told him…," Gobber said, standing there awkwardly with the leg still in his hand.

"Told me what?" Hiccup almost yelled, getting frustrated that no one told him what was going on. Realization hit him and as he was about to grab the blanket, his father's hand stopped him.

"Hiccup, listen," Stoick began, but Hiccup ignored him and pushed his hand away from his strong grip. He grabbed the blanket and took a deep breath before removing it to reveal his injured left leg. Hiccup gasped at the sight of his foot, or what was left of it. Bandages were wrapped around it, some parts blood stained and some parts just a normal color of white. He didn't know what to feel. Angry? Sad? Depressed that his left leg was gone?

He couldn't say such things, especially since it was his best friend who did this. Without needing Toothless to say so, he knew it was an accident. He wouldn't blame his best friend for doing such a thing, and after all, it had saved his life. His expression softened as he thought of Toothless. He couldn't be mad at him. Actually, he would never be mad at him. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them once again. Leaning back, he winced in pain as he moved back, taking deep breaths fast, almost sounding as if he was hyperventilating.

"Hiccup! You have to relax," Stoick shouted, snapping Hiccup out of his thoughts, but he still refused to listen. The teens stood there awkwardly with Gobber, listening to the small conversation. Stoick faked a cough, making them leave to give them some privacy, but of course they wanted to hear everything and stood outside eavesdropping. "Son, you need to rest," He began, but got cut off by an angry Hiccup.

"Don't you dare call me that. Not after all these years," Hiccup snapped, looking directly in his eyes. Stoick was shocked, feeling anger and sadness take over him once again. He was about to respond, but thought better of it.

"Get some rest. We'll talk about this in the morning," Stoick said, gritting his teeth as he walked away and in to his bedroom. Hiccup refused to listen once more as he climbed onto Toothless's scaly back and off they went. He had to climb through the window of his room since neither of them was able to open the front door. They ran off to the cove under the stars above their heads as the moon became brighter and the sun changed to darkness.

The teens stood outside the massive door, eavesdropping on the two inside the house. Just a few seconds they could hear a calm voice, but what shocked them was what seemed to be Hiccup's responding. They could make out a sentence that sounded sort of harsh that said, Don't you dare call me that. Not after all these years. Those words made the teens wonder. What did Hiccup mean and what did his father call him that made him say such a thing? Shifting glances, they snap back to hear a strong and darker voice say, Get some rest. We'll talk about this in the morning.

"Talk about what exactly?" Astrid muttered under her breath. There was a slam with a door and the curious teens turned around to see their dragons head pop up in the air, sensing something. Astrid walks over to Stormfly, shortly followed by the other teens as they did the same. "What's wrong girl?" She scratched her chin, getting happy purring sound in reply. Stormfly snapped back to reality and lightly pushed Astrid towards the woods. "Hey, hey, hey, calm down girl. Show us," She said, mounting Stormfly. They flew off towards the woods, their dragons searching the ground for something. The teens were curious at what had made their dragons act like this. So far they hadn't acted anything but their normal selves.

Surprisingly, the dragons landed in the cove next to a dark figure. "Toothless? What is he doing out here?" Snotlout asked, looking slightly confused just like the other teens.

"Taking his rider out to get some air. Next question?" A voice said, surprising the teens as they almost screamed in shock. They walked over to the other end of Toothless to see who the voice had come from. On Toothless's body lay Hiccup, leaning his weight on the dragon beneath him. His left hand in his lap and right hand scratching the dragon's head.

"What are you doing out here?!" Astrid practically screamed, shocking everyone in the close area. Hiccup sighed, looking directly into Astrid's eyes.

"I just needed some air," He half lied. It was a bit true, but most of the reason was to just think. But thinking twice about that, it doesn't seem like a very big difference.

"You should get back or your father will get worried," Fishlegs said, making him look at him. Hiccup rolled his eyes at the mention of Stoick.

"Stoick wouldn't care anyway, and would you please stop screaming, my head is hurting," The teens looked at each other confused then turning back to meet Hiccup's eyes with the same expression a few seconds ago. They were confused over why Stoick wouldn't care, and they weren't screaming at all. It was barely a whisper in their ears.

"What are you talking about? We're barely whispering," Snotlout asked. Suddenly Hiccups hands flew up to his ears, covering them both as he made an expression that told them one word, pain. He groaned in pain, feeling the world get blurrier and everything falling apart in exchange of total darkness.

Toothless let out a growl, nudging Hiccup as he lay unconscious on the grass. Astrid kneeled down next to the boy, holding a hand on his forehead. Luckily, he didn't have a fever. She helped him on the back of Toothless, making sure he wouldn't fall off and ordered her dragon to follow them. Stormfly obeyed, following them back to the village. Before flying to Gothi's they stopped by Gobber who was pounding metal like never before.

"Gobber! We need your help," Fishlegs ran in, shouting in panic.

"Calm down Fishlegs! You're going to wake up the neighbors. Now what did you need help with?" He asked, dropping the sword he was hammering. Fishlegs moved out of sight as he had stood before Hiccup, making it impossible to see him. Gobber's mouth dropped wide as he moved over to Hiccups unconscious body, cradling him in his arms. "What happened?!" He asked, looking up from the boy in his hands.

"We're not sure, but we heard him talk to Stoick before we found him and Toothless in the woods," Astrid explained, thinking twice about telling about the cove. She thought maybe Hiccup wanted it to be his and Toothless's little problem free area. Gobber looked down and sighed, thinking of what might have happened between them after he left. He should have stayed with the teens, but thought better of eavesdropping on his best friend.

"Whatever happened, we need to get him checked up. Could you give me a lift?" He asked politely. She nodded in response as they mounted Stormfly with Toothless being carried by Barf and Hookfang. Once they reached the hut on the top of the mountain above the great hall, they knocked on the door. Gothi came a second later, looking at the boy in Gobber's arms and motioned for him to put Hiccup inside. She allowed Toothless to come, but that was it. The rest had to wait outside. Gobber stayed by Hiccup's side as Gothi looked closer at the problem in hand.

After a few minutes, Gothi started to draw symbols in the sand which only he and Fishlegs could understand. She asked what happened before he fainted. Gobber told her what he had heard from the teens and she nodded in understanding. She took a few more tests and told him he needed to rest, and with that Gobber went outside to see the teens sitting on their dragons. How do they even fit here? Gobber thought, thinking about the narrow wooden planks that covered half of Toothless's wing.

"What did she say?" They asked in unison, making Gobber laugh. He pulled himself together and began telling them what he was told.

"She said he fainted after all the stress and his ribs started to fail on keeping him up. Another thing was that Stoick isn't allowed to see him since she think he caused the stress upon him. Don't worry, he'll be fine," Gobber explained, making them sigh in relief which was weird. After all those years they had actually started to pay attention to him and care for him, even Snotlout. There was one question that popped up in Astrid's mind that she really needed to know. She remembered something at this time of the year from when she was only a little child.

"Gobber? When is Hiccup's birthday?" She asked, looking curiously at her trainers face. He thought for a few seconds.

"I think it's in about three days or so. Odin's beard, I almost forgot!" Gobber facepalmed, fiddling with his hand and hammer. Astrid was surprised that she remembered and a little shocked to find out it was only three days away.

"We should make some celebration for him!" She smiled, getting more ideas of what the party could look like. The teens groaned as she said that, knowing her sly smile when she discovers things. She turned around to face them with a death glare, "What?"

"Not more of your ideas, they're always so violent!" Ruffnut groaned, earning another death glare from her. She shut her mouth, taking her hands up in defense as she backed away. "When I think twice, we should let you control the things," Gobber walked over to Astrid again, putting his hand on her shoulder to look directly in her eyes.

"I need to know what they said. Don't leave out anything," He said with a serious looking face. Astrid had to admit she felt a little scared and extremely uncomfortable at the position.

"Hiccup yelled something, saying 'don't you dare call me that. Not after all this time' and Stoick just replied with the old 'We'll talk about this in the morning', then there was a slam and it all silenced," She explained, making Gobber loosen his grip on her shoulder and back away a few steps. He looked up in the midnight air, thinking of what the word could've been that made Hiccup so upset. Then it hit him like lighting to the head. Son.


	41. Chapter 41

Gobber thought it may be a good idea to talk to Stoick in the morning so he called it the night. The next morning, instead of walking to the forge to work, he went to Stoick's house, knocking on the door. The door opened to reveal a worried looking Stoick. "Where is he?!" He yelled at his friend, putting his helmet in his hands as he walked back and forth, forming some kind of circle.

"You need to calm down. Sit," Gobber began as the two men went over to sit by the fire pit. Stoick looked at his friend expectantly. "He's with Gothi," He said calmly, watching his friends expression soften, but changed to confusion.

"Why?" Was his simple come-back. He couldn't place his tongue to why he was there and not here, he's always been checked up down in his own house. "Did something happen?"

"In fact, yes. The other teens found him in the woods with his dragon, but came running in to me with him unconscious in his hands," Gobber explained, looking away from Stoick's curious eyes and eyed the fire in front of them. Stoick stood up, making his way to the door. "Where are you going?" Gobber asked.

"To see my son," Stoick took the handle of the door and opened it, only to find Gobber pushing it back, closing the door again. "What are you doing?!"

"You can't go see Hiccup."

"Why?"

"Gothi believe that whatever conversation you two had, made Hiccup stress too much for his body to handle. She said you weren't allowed to see him until he fully recovered from his injuries," Gobber explained once again, standing to block the door. Stoick thought back for a few more seconds as the conversation popped back in his head. He facepalmed at the thought of the awkward and understandable conversation between the two of them. Suddenly he felt guilt rush over him as he settled back in his chair, face in his hands.

"What have I done, Gobber? I'm a terrible father…," He said, letting a few tears roll down his cheek. When he was younger, he made a promise to himself that he would never become his father who was stubborn and often treated him the same as he did with Hiccup. He promised himself he would never become the monster his father once was, but turned out, you can't escape something you were born into, unless you had something to help you out of it.

Gobber put a comforting hand on his friends shoulder, sighing at the sight of his friend's broken heart. He knew about the promise, and just like his father had, he tried to calm his friend down to help him out. His father was Stoick's father's best friend, just like the both of them. "You could start over, begin in three days," Stoick eyed his one handed friend curious, but at the same time confused.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, hoping for an answer that would lighten up his mood.

"Hiccup's birthday is in three days, and the teens wanted to make it up for him by holding a little celebration with the rest of the village for him," Stoick's face lightened up as he thought about the opportunities to make everything right with his bond between father and son, but held a little depressed side of it as well by the thought of him forgetting his son's birthday. There were so many times he had just ignored it, and soon it turned out to be forgotten.

"I'll try, but there's still one thing we have to prepare him for. Do you think you could teach him how to use his prosthetic leg? He still needs to go through what me and every chief have been before," Gobber understood and nodded slightly, thinking back to the meeting a few weeks ago. "I'll get him back on his feet before you know it. Don't you worry, but let him breathe for a few more minutes before you tell him."

"I know, but we have to tell him. I'll say it to him when the time is right," With that, Gobber left to go and have a look at his apprentice.

* * *

"Argh," Hiccup groaned, massaging his temple. He had a terrible headache and difficulties with remembering what had happened. As if on cue, Gobber walked in with some food and water on a wooden plate. The smell of newly made scrambled eggs made Hiccup's stomach scream for food. Gobber chuckled at his little apprentice 'greeting', setting the plate next to Hiccup's bed.

"How's our little hero doing?" Gobber asked, giving him a warm smile as he helped him sit up straight.

"My head is pounding. W-what happened?" He asked, looking at Gobber with a questioning look. He let his hand fall into his lap, waiting for any possible reply.

"From what I heard you ran away from home with Toothless. The teens found you and you said something about them yelling and then you fainted. They brought you back to me and we went here, to Gothi, to get her to check you. She said you had stressed too much for your body to handle and that you have to stay here for at least two more days, then you're free to go," Gobber said happily, giving him the plate of food.

Hiccup thought back and everything came back to his mind. The first thing he thought of was the conversation between him and his father. His face saddened at how they had both yelled at each other. The last thing he wanted was to argue with his dad, even if he knew it would come back to him some day. It always does. Something caught Hiccup's attention, something he hadn't even thought about since he woke up. "Gobber?" He asked, earning a questioning look from the old Viking. "H-How long was I out?"

Gobber looked at him with a confused face, thinking of whether telling him about last night or if he meant before that. "It happened yesterday, so a-," Gobber was cut off by Hiccup.

"No, no, no, before that," He watched as Gobber sighed heavy, before meeting his eyes once again.

"A month and a few days," Hiccup's eyes widened in shock. Then how did he still feel so much pain? Shouldn't it have healed by now? He let those thoughts stay behind for another day before he asked an important question.

"How did I survive?" Gobber's eyes widened at the question, thinking hard on what to tell the boy. He couldn't tell him he died, could he? The best was not to lie; it never ended good that way.

"We don't know. Stoick carried you back to our boats; your lifeless body looking like an animal had attacked you. You were dead, Hiccup," He explained sadly, looking away from the boy a few seconds, thinking back to the time he saw his friend carry his apprentice's lifeless body, cradling in his hands. A tear threatened to fall, but he wouldn't let it. Vikings don't cry. It's a way of showing weakness. He looked back to an unexpected expression on the boy's face. He would've guessed it would be mixed with sadness and shock, but it was rather a blending with understanding and remembering. He looked up with a confused look, wanting to ask him what was wrong, but let it be.

"I know," Hiccup responded after a few seconds of silence, earning a confused glare from the old man. "I know that I died. I know most of it," He explained sadly, thinking back to his memories and back to the moment he could finally remember how it was to feel good. How it felt to be healed instead of broken.

"What do you mean?" The question popped out of his mouth, getting curious at the boy.

"When I… died…I know I went to Valhalla, because I met someone there," He sighed, looking down at the food.

"You met your mother, didn't you?" Gobber asked, looking away sadly, shifting position. Unknown to what a surprising answer he would get.

"No," Hiccup said, "I met Ruthus," Hiccup wanted to say more, but thought better of it. What would happen if he told him about what he was told? It would spread, and his father would go mad, thinking his son was crazy. He looked up at Gobber as he stood up.

"Get some rest. I will check on you later," Gobber began walking out, but turned around as Hiccup spoke.

"Thank you," Hiccup said, giving him a warm smile, watching the old man leave him alone to rest.


	42. Chapter 42

It was late at night when Astrid decided to go visit Hiccup. She didn't really think he would be asleep as she entered the doors, but Odin she was wrong. There lay the boy she's been thinking about every day and every night, from dusk to dawn, peacefully sleeping in the bed a few feet from her. She pulled out a chair, not once taking her eyes off the sleeping boy. She sat down and just stared. Stared at the boy she had ignored for so many years. Stared at the broken boy who she'd never seen happy since they were small.

They used to be childhood friends at the age of five to nine, but as her uncle Finn wanted to learn how to protect herself, she became less active around him, and after a while of her normal schedule she just decided to ignore him like everyone else. They used to be best friends who shared secrets, feelings, happiness and laughter's, but as the years passed they grew to become tougher, quieter, less emotional, angrier and meaner. Some day she just magically changed like in the blink of an eye. Her hair used to be loose, but after a few days of training she never let it down unless she washed it. Her axe never left her side unless she went to get more food from the stores in town.

One thing she hadn't really thought of was Hiccup. Not until now. She always looked at him like a broken boy, a disappointment, a runt. But after getting to know him a bit better, she understood there was nothing positive in judging anyone by their looks. Sure they knew each other a few years back, but years passed and things changed. It was first now she really thought about those times he saw him at the forge with a bruised face or cut on his lip, and what made her think was that whenever she saw him like that, she wondered who did it.

Snotlout was always around her and her friends, and only as they passed by Hiccup, he would beat him up, but for a period they let him be so he would recover. That's when she noticed how more wounded he had gotten over that period, and one simple eavesdropping made her mind explode with sadness and anger.

* * *

 _Astrid walked around town, not having anything to do at the moment as she was allowed to take a break from training. Every day she passes by the forge to see Hiccup working with her co-combat trainer Gobber the Belch. One day caught her attention at the two of them._

 _She passed by on a rainy day, needing her axe sharpened. She always had her axe in a perfect shape in case something would happen. Sometimes she was even allowed to anticipate in defending the village from dragons. It was dark and most of the Vikings had fallen asleep by now, but there was one house that was lightened up with the help of ovens and candles. She could hear voices from inside the forge as she walked towards the house, but stopped in her tracks to hear something she didn't know would surprise her._

 _"_ _Why can't I just help someone? I know that everyone hates me, especially my father considering what had happened in the morning," She could hear Hiccup say. She walked closer, hiding behind a wall to hear their conversations._

 _"_ _They don't hate you. They just don't want the heir of chief's throne to get injured in a raid. You can help as many you want by helping me here at the forge. We still need weapons sharpened and some made," Gobber said, pounding the form of a sword. Hiccup let out a sigh, getting back to work. Astrid could barely hear what he said after it, but she wished she hadn't._

 _"_ _Why does my dad have to abuse me? Why can't he just treat me like a son?" Then the sounds of sharpening weapons came and she stopped dead in her tracks. She never thought her warm hearted chief would abuse his one and only son just because he's different from any other Viking._

* * *

Astrid took a deep breath, opening her eyes as she felt her hands shaking, tears threatening to fall. She tried to calm herself down, but couldn't as she looked over at the broken boy in front of her. How could such an innocent person be treated like that? There was nothing he had done wrong, and if he had it was all just for a good reason. And that reason was to help.

She felt herself breaking down any minute now and didn't want to wake Hiccup. At least not wake him up to see her like this. Standing up, she leaned over the bed, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before she left him alone.


	43. Chapter 43

It was the day before Hiccup's birthday and most of the plans were already settled. All they needed now was to actually do their work. Astrid had been up most of the night, after calming down after the visit with Hiccup, planning the whole celebration. It took her a while to actually start on the planning, but she managed to pull herself together a while later.

She was walking with Stormfly up to the great hall to get some food. She would be sitting at the table with the Chief and the council along with her friends. Gobber was actually the leader of the whole project and had left Astrid second in charge since she had come up with the idea. All they had to do now was waiting for Gobber to come and they would start. She entered the hall where Vikings, most of Berk, were eating and talking. Stormfly went over to a pack of dragons, where they usually stayed since it wasn't enough room for them to walk around in the hall. Sitting down, she greeted the chief and the council, eating her chicken leg as she listened to the conversation.

A few minutes later Gobber came and walked over to the table and the planning started. Stoick didn't even bother to ask how his son was holding up since he had already asked a couple of times. They discussed if the dragons should stay inside the great hall along with the Vikings at first, and then moved on to the next.

"I think we should let the tamed dragons stay inside to honor Hiccup. I would think he'd like to see dragons too, instead of just Vikings," Astrid suggested, thinking the wild ones should stay outside. They wouldn't want them to ruin the whole hall and run off with the food again.

"I agree," Stoick said, nodding along with the other Vikings.

"And we should have some tables to contain the food and maybe a few decorations like on Snoggletog. Just more green and Hiccup looking style," Gobber suggested. He thought the celebration could be more of Hiccup's style than any other Viking, since he's such a unique boy. Everyone nodded and set up groups on who could do what. Not everyone would be able to anticipate in the decoration, due to their jobs on the island.

Suddenly Toothless walked in to the Great hall, searching for any familiar faces. When he noticed Gobber he walked over to him, putting on an innocent face. Gobber looked at him with a confused face. He looked back and forth at the fish on his plate in hope to make him understand. "Oh, you hungry boy?" Gobber said happily. Toothless gave him a gummy smile, following Gobber as he walked over to a stack of fish. "Here you go. Do you want to help them decorate while I give something to Hiccup?" He asked, earning another toothless smile from the dragon. Gobber chuckled, patting his head before he went off to give Hiccup something to do, just to keep him distracted.

Astrid sat by a table with some kids who helped her make some drawings and decorations for the event. She thought it would be a good thing to make some drawings for Hiccup to show him he was being loved by not only the elders, but also the towns youngest. "Why don't you guys draw some ideas for weapons or draw him and toothless while I go put these up?" The younger ones squealed in joy, grabbing all the paint they could and began drawing different things.

She walked away from the table, carrying a box with the decorations only to be greeted by the highly respected dragon of Berk. She stopped in her tracks, looking down at the smiling dragon. "You want to help us? Okay, let's get this in place shall we?" She said, walking along with a happy night fury. They went over to the teens and gave them some silk and fabric and began decoration the tables and everything they possibly could. They tried not to make it look too over decorated and slowed down on the green color and let the brown color of the wooden objects blend in. Toothless noticed Astrid struggling to set place something up high. He placed her on his head by surprise, lifting her higher up. "Woah, thank you Toothless," She said, catching her normal heart beats again after the sudden movements.

Hours passed and the night was settling in by the time they had finally finished. Toothless went back to Hiccup a few hours ago to give him some company. He got a lot of greetings from the Vikings and while decorating he wanted to watch over the kids. Once he walked over to them he wished he hadn't. They ran over to him, holding some fish in their hands and some wanted to pet him or ride him. He just lay down, irritated as he watched them. After a few minutes he gave up and played with them until he remembered his rider and went off, making the younger Vikings whine in disappointment.


	44. Chapter 44

Today was a special day for Berk. Their hero's own Birthday. Together the village had set together a celebration just for him, and he didn't even know. He was lying in bed, in Gothi's hut, waiting for permission to leave. Hiccup and Toothless looked closely at the door, expecting someone to show up any minute now. As if on cue, Gothi came through the room, giving him a nod as a signal to leave. Without thinking straight, Hiccup stood up, but fell as he tried to walk with the imaginary limb he thought he had. Gothi came over to him with a pair of crutches and gave them along with his prosthetic leg. Hiccup passed the leg over to Toothless since he had no permission to use it before his leg fully healed. "Thank you Gothi, for everything," He said, both giving each other a warm smile. She opened the door for them and closed as they stepped outside.

Hiccup stood outside, taking in the view of Berk. Letting his nostrils take in the fresh air. Toothless nudged him, snapping him out of his gaze and gestured for him to get up. He did as told and as soon as he had settled himself they went off. Since Toothless doesn't have a saddle or a tail at the moment, they took it slow, climbing down the mountain side, passing by Mildew's house, the town's most grumpy man, and soon settled in the streets of Berk, but what caught their attention was the empty streets of Berk.

"Where is everyone?" He muttered to himself. Hiccup dismounted Toothless with a little help from the crutches. Toothless knew why there was no one here, but acted as if something was going on. Hiccup walked around, confused by the sight of the empty village. He had expected something like Vikings wrestling or buying food from other Vikings, but there was nothing. Not even a single dragon. After waking up three days ago, he had sort of figured out that the war between Dragons and Vikings was over, but didn't bother to ask how. Right now, all he cared about was to find out what happened around the village. Examining house to house, he found nothing. Everything looked perfectly normal except for the disappearing Vikings of course.

Without Hiccup noticing, a small sound came from the Great Hall, giving Toothless the signal. He nudged Hiccup and put him on his back, walking slowly up the stairs to the Great Hall. Hiccup had a questioning look on his face as he dismounted Toothless again. He stood there as Toothless opened the heavy doors of the Great Hall. The room was dark, not a single light inside. On the ground was a lonely shadow of his own figure along with Toothless's. Behind him, the doors closed and out of nowhere candles lightened up.

"SURPRISE!" Vikings yelled out and dragons roared in happiness, shocking Hiccup as he almost got a heart attack. Before he fell over, Toothless caught him and helped him back on his feet. His expression turned from surprised to a happy smile as he looked at a long fabric saying, Happy Birthday Hiccup. He looked down at Toothless who smiled at him. Without even noticing, Gobber approached along with the teens and his father.

"Am I dreaming?" He asked in disbelief. The whole hall went silent, listening to the words escaping his lips.

"No, you're wide awake. Welcome back Hiccup," Gobber said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Toothless gave Stoick the prosthetic leg so he could take care of it for them. They made their way over to the closest table so he could sit down and rest his body from the sudden event. He had totally forgotten his own birthday and was surprised to the fact that they remembered it and not him or mostly that they even remembered it. Out of nowhere, someone punched his shoulder making him yelp in pain.

"What the-?" He said, looking up to see Astrid standing in front of him as he rubbed his shoulder.

"That's for making me cry," She said. He was shocked to the fact that she had cried, but what exactly did she mean? How had he made her cry? Suddenly, she grabbed his tunic. He expected another punch, but surprisingly, she…kissed him! His eyes widened in surprise and total shock. She pulled away a couple of seconds after and they stared at each other. Hiccup was still shocked that the most beautiful girl on Berk had just kissed him, but it also got him wonder why? "And that's for coming back to us," She said with a smile. There was an awkward silence as they just stared at each other.

"Let's get this party started!" Stoick shouted, breaking the awkward silence between the two teens along with their 'staring contest'. Dragons and Vikings cheered at the thought of food and began eating. The teens sat down on the same table as Hiccup and began chatting, and to Hiccup's surprise, they were talking about him.

"And Hiccup was like, YEAH BABY!" Tuffnut squealed in excitement, thinking back to the moment they fought the Red Death. Hiccup just rolled his eyes at the boy's over reacting moment. Toothless laid his head in his riders lap as he fell asleep. He didn't really want anything else but to fly, eat and sleep like a normal dragon would want to do. Hiccup sat there, listening to their conversation as Fishlegs sometimes came with facts about dragons. He didn't really find it very funny, but it was better than them talking bad about him.

Astrid noticed Hiccup's sudden behavior and wondered what he was thinking about. She stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I want to show you something," Hiccup looked at her confused, but shrugged it off. He pushed Toothless's head lightly, waking the dragon up. After that he took his crutches and stood up, walking beside Astrid and Toothless. Toothless placed him on his back as they made their way down the stairs of the Great Hall.

"So… where are you taking me?" Hiccup asked, breaking the awkward silence between them. She didn't answer and kept walking. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs she turned to walk towards Hiccup's house. Hiccup was confused on why they would be going there, but decided not to ask, thinking it may be another surprise. She opened the door for the both of them and walked up the stairs to his bedroom. They both stood there, watching her every move as she looked around for something.

"Aha! Found it!" She said excitedly, picking up a notebook in her hands. She walked over to Hiccup and gave him the book. He took it, looking down at it confused. "We noticed a while after we found you that you still had your notebook, but it needed to be freshened up a bit. So we bought you a new one and copied everything from the old one to the new one, well we tried at least," She explained with a smile on her face. Hiccup opened the book to see every design's he had was in there. "Thank you," Hiccup looked up at her with a smile.

"You're welcome! Stoick and Gobber also tried to figure out the sketches for Toothless's tail, but it was too advanced for them to make it. We thought you might want to fly when you got back up on your feet," That made Hiccup laugh. He couldn't believe he was smarter than old Gobber.

"Then I'll start on that tomorrow," He said, wiping the tears out of his eyes. He looked over at Astrid with a smile, scanning her face from the top to the bottom. "Hey Astrid? That… uhm… kiss… what did you mean by it?" He asked, blushing madly at the feeling.

"Uhm…," Astrid said, looking away from his eyes, trying to cover up her red cheeks. She really wanted to tell him how she really felt, but what was the point? They barely know each other at the moment, and she wanted to know more of him. She took a deep breath and looked in to his eyes, standing back up straightly. "I'm a Hofferson, and I do whatever I want," She said proudly. Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle at her statement. "Now come on, we have one more thing we need to do," She said, walking out of the house followed by the reptile and his rider.

Astrid led them up to the Great Hall where they could hear laughter and cheering. A smile grew on her face as she thought about what his reaction would be. Once they reached the doors they went in and Hiccup was told to sit down while she talked to his father.

"Okay, quiet down everyone!" Stoick said, holding his hands up as a sign of some kind of announcement. Hiccup shifted position, as he sat with his back to his father. Every Viking and dragon looked at Stoick to hear what he had to say. "Hiccup," He started, thinking twice of calling him son as he looked at him. "You've made all of Berk proud of you. You've earned the dragons loyalty and after 300 years of war between dragons and Vikings, you were the first to stop it once and for all. So we have decided to give you the responsibility of taming the dragons, learn more about them, and train them. That's why we have decided to give you this," He walked over to Hiccup along with Gobber, handing him the book of dragons and a chest with Berks crest on it. Hiccup looked at it in awe, not taking his eyes off it once as they placed it on the table in front of him. Stoick opened the chest to reveal several paper rolls and notebooks. "These are Bork's personal notes. Everything he knew about dragons is in here, and we give you the responsibility for them," Stoick finished, taking a step away from the table to let Hiccup have a look.

"I-I don't have words. Thank you," He said, giving his father a warm smile. Maybe he has changed after all, but that doesn't change the past, Hiccup thought. He still wasn't ready to forgive his father after everything, but he would give it a try.

"Now let's have this celebration continued!" Stoick cheered, raising up his mug with mead and screamed, "To the pride of Berk!" And the Vikings repeated,

"To the pride of Berk!"


	45. Chapter 45

The night went on, and on, and on. Vikings got drunk, children played with dragons, and some sat talking. Hiccup was getting tired of all the congratulations and felt exhausted. He excused himself from the teens, and headed for the huge doors to the exit. On his way, Vikings gave him a pat on his shoulder, some taking him by surprise making him almost fall over as he got kind of…scared. Toothless walked by his side, noticing the exhausted and tired look on his riders face. His whole body told him he wasn't right, but as everyone had said, he had been through a lot.

Something was bugging his mind, trying to stay awake just until he had exited the hall. Every time someone gives him a pat on his shoulder he moved away quickly as if he had seen a ghost. Many Vikings gave him confused, yet worried, glances as the small Viking and his dragon made their way out of the hall.

Once he had exited the hall, he took in the fresh air, trying to clear his mind as the party just reminded him so badly about everything that had happened. Almost like a little summary of his life, but the ending never really came. Toothless looked at his rider, expecting him to jump on, but instead he just stood there, looking over Berk. Hiccup looked down at the worried dragon. "I'm fine, bud. Just a little tired," He answered, mounting the scaly dragon and they both set off for his home.

They entered the house, walking over to the kitchen to get some food for Toothless. Hiccup struggled to get the basket out, but Toothless nudged him to the side and got it himself. He watched as his dragon ate the fish happily, and settled down by the fire with a blanket over him. Without meaning to, he fell asleep.

"Hiccup."

"Hiccup."

"Hiccup."

"I'm coming for you," A voice said, deep into the darkness he could see blood eyes looking at him with an evil laugh. Hiccup looked around, trying to find the source of the voice once the eyes had disappeared.

"Just let me help you."

"You're not my son."

"Train my dragon's boy."

"She's not here, Hiccup."

Voices echoed in the darkness around the boy. He tried to cover his ears with his hands, but then noticed they were chained. Panicking, he attempts to free himself again. He got frustrated as he defeated and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Opening his eyes again, his eyes widened at the demonic figures of Alvin and Stoick above him. His father held a hammer and Alvin held a dagger. The two of them moved closer to him with their weapons, one at each side.

"Hiccup."

"Wake up."

"Hiccup-"

Hiccup jumped up, crawling away from the person who talked to him. Looking around he noticed he was back in his house by the fire pit. Without having noticed before, his father stood there, watching him with a worried expression. Hiccup noticed him and felt his heart jump out of his chest as he never stopped crawling away from the man. When he reached the corner of the room he held his crutch defensively. "Get away from me!" He shouted, tears falling down his face. "Please! Just stay away!"

Stoick tried to go closer, hoping to calm his son down even if he had no idea what was going on, but received one of his crutches lightly in his stomach. He stepped back, wondering how he was supposed to calm him down. "Hiccup! It was only a nightmare. You're okay now. Just let me help you."

"No! S-Stay away!" He shouted, crawling together in a ball. Toothless watched the whole scene, but needed an end to this. He walked over to Hiccup, cooing in sadness, and in hope of comforting him. At first Hiccup got scared and almost pointed his crutch at his best friend, but changed it to a hug and cried on his 'shoulder'.

Stoick walked pass the two and into his room, knowing there was no way of helping Hiccup today. He heard lightly snoring as he walked pass them, looking down to find his son sleeping peacefully in his friends arms. He sighed, looking back to the door, walking in and closed it for the night.


	46. Chapter 46

Hiccup woke up again after an hour by another nightmare, having the same one as the last. He looked at the fire fading in the house, and kept staring until his father came through the door. Hiccup moved back a little, looking up at his father frightened and exhausted.

Stoick sighed, walking over to the food storage of their house to make them both some breakfast. No one dared to say a word as Hiccup looked at his father's every move. Not once did he dare to let his eyes close or leave his father.

He finished making their breakfast and sat it a few steps away from his son, then walked out of the house with his own food. Stoick walked down towards the forge, eating his soup and earning a few confused glances. He just ignored them and kept walking. From outside he could hear the pounding of weapons and the singing of a happy old Viking.

"Morning," Stoick said, stepping aside so his friend could work.

"Morning chief-," Gobber stopped talking as he noticed the unexpected bowl in his chief's hands. "Why are you eating here?" Stoick sighed, placing the bowl away along with his spoon.

"It's Hiccup. When I came home yesterday after the party, he had a nightmare. So I woke him up, but he just crawled as far away from me as possible, pointing his crutches at me as he yelled out terrified, 'Get away from me!' and begging me to stay away!" He explained, mimicking his son the way he understood him. Gobber didn't know what to say. He would always have an advice for his friend, but right now, he was blank. Sighing, they both stood there thinking of a thing that could help their hero.

"You know, he's been through a lot. There's nothing much more we could do but give him time to recover," Stoick nodded in understanding as he walked back to get his helmet for chiefing.

* * *

Vikings looked confused, yet worried, at their hero who passed by them on his way to the forge alongside his dragon. They noticed the bags under his eyes, the exhausting expression in his way of movement and the afraid, but shy, face of his. Hiccup thought that maybe helping in the forge would help him have something else to think of than his nightmares. At least then there would only be him, Toothless and perhaps Gobber.

On his way he noticed his father walking out of the forge, holding an empty bowl without his helmet. He guessed Stoick was going back home to their house to get his helmet on go on with his day as chief. Sighing, he walked with his head low, not wanting to look at his father again since he was sort of… scared of him. Somehow, he could hear his father sigh in an ashamed manner as he passed the two.

He reached the forge a few seconds later, not daring to hold his head high. Gobber hadn't noticed him and turned around with hot metal in his hand, almost knocking the boy over. "Hiccup! You know you shouldn't surprise a man with hot metal in hands!" Gobber said, taking the metal back on the anvil.

"Sorry, Gobber," He said low, walking over to his little hut with his head low. He didn't really know how he could work on Toothless's tail, other than sketching the parts, step by step. Just as he sat down in his little chair, Gobber walked in. This time without his hot metal that could leave a pretty good burn if it made contact with someone's skin. That is, if the person aren't dragon.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Gobber asked, moving his one good hand on his hook as if examining its smoothness.

"No," Was all he could say, pulling out a piece of paper and a charcoal pen.

"If you say so, but you know you have to talk about it some time. It won't disappear before you feel free," With that Gobber left, leaving Hiccup alone with his dragon to do some sketching for later. Only a few seconds after he left, another voice came from the room that he recognized not to be Gobber's. He couldn't make out what they said, but tried to eavesdrop. His concentration was interrupted by a knock on the door, and there stood Astrid.

"Hey," She said, laying down her axe.

"Hey," He said, looking up to meet her ocean blue eyes that could distract any men if they just took time to look deep inside them.

"I saw you walking to the forge so I just stopped by… What are you doing?" She asked, walking over to him and looked over his shoulder to see a few lines that could look like a tail, beside some explanations she didn't really understand.

"Just working on Toothless's tail fin, since I'm the only one who can do it…," Hiccup explained. Out of nowhere he yawned before going back to his work. There was an awkward silence and they both noticed. "Sorry, I'm not so good on making conversations with people," He said, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"No, it's fine. By the way, that kind of brings me to why I'm here," She started. Hiccup looked away from his work and met her blue orbs once again with a confused face. She took a deep breath, taking a few steps back as she moved back and forth. "I just wanted to say… I'm sorry. For everything. The way I treated you after we had been such good childhood friends, the way I ignored you and the many times I just watched you get beaten up by Snotlout which was my fault. He tried to impress me by beating you up, but only if he had understood that it made me hate him even more, and-"

"Astrid, it's ok. I'm sort of used to it anyways. It's no big deal-"

"Yes it is Hiccup! No one should be used to get bullied and ignored by anyone. In fact, no one should even be bullied, and definitely not beaten up or abused by their own parents-"

"How did you know?" He interrupted her, staring at her in shock. One of the reasons was probably because he saw how guilty she felt, and the other because she knew about their little family issue.

"Well, everyone in the village does. It kind of came clear to us the night some of them shot you and Toothless down in the square, and you know how it goes. But I've known it for a while. Sometimes I would see you have freshly made wounds when I knew Snotlout hadn't beaten you up, because he never left our side. And I thought you just fell or something, but one night I was going to sharpen my axe at the forge and accidently heard you and Gobber talk about what your father had been doing to you. I'm sorry, Hiccup," Out of nowhere she embraced him in a hug, burying her head in his neck as she felt a tear threaten to fall. "For everything," She let go of him and looked directly into his forest green eyes. "I just wish I hadn't done that, and hope I could just take it all back,"

"Astrid, listen. It's fine. Besides, if you guys hadn't treated me like that, I would probably not have met Toothless, and the war would still be here. I'm actually a bit happy with everything that had happened. I mean, it all happened for a reason, but I just can't figure out why," He gave her a reassuring smile to lighten up the mood.

"Thank you, Hiccup. For being so kind to me, to everyone," She smiled back, placing a small kiss on his lips. She pulled away and looked over his shoulder once again, but then down on his feet as she noticed he still couldn't walk with his leg. "Do you… need some help?" Hiccup looked up at her with a tired look and nodded.

"That would be lovely," He said. Still awed over the sudden kiss that seemed to be getting into a small routine. Not that he'd mind, getting a few kisses from his crush every now and then. Astrid pulled out a chair and sat down, listening to Hiccup as he explained the whole contraption and something about Toothless's tail fin that could get useful in the future. For the rest of the day, they moved back and forth, well mostly Astrid, and worked on the new tail fin for Toothless. She had to get his metal leg from his house so they could measure the length and design of his new leg, but she didn't mind as long as it meant they would finally start over.


	47. Chapter 47

"And it's done!" Hiccup exclaimed happily, stretching out the tailfin as the three of them looked at the invention. Toothless's new tail had been decided to go red because it was the only Toothless would agree with. It had a skull, half dragon and half human blended together, in the center of the tail. For the most of the time, Hiccup worked on the tail while Astrid assisted him on getting things since he couldn't walk properly just yet. She enjoyed watching him do such amazing things, draw sketches and paint the leather with a skull. It just really made her realize how good Hiccup was at mostly, well, everything. But it also got her wondering why no one other than Gobber had noticed it, and how Hiccup always failed on showing things, but making them in secret? He was absolutely talented.

"You wanna try it on?" Astrid asked, but immediately regretted the question.

"I'm sort of incapable of that right now," Hiccup said sadly, swinging his left leg, or what's left of it, a little back and forth. He let out a sigh, sitting back down in the chair to rest his feet. Over the few days he's been walking, he have noticed how much stronger his right leg was than his other. The walking with one leg and crutches was a great workout, but what really needed some workout was his left one. It needed to build some muscles since his was practically torn out of him, but it always got him wonder how he was supposed to move his lower leg. Not once had he even tried to move it. He was afraid he would feel less than he already did.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked, but Gobber said your father wanted you to learn how to use it in a few days. He just said it was important," Astrid explained, kneeling down to his eye level, which was still looking at his legs. "Don't worry. Whatever happens next, I'll gladly be by your side. Besides, you are the one to choose if you feel like training or not," She slowly stood up and reached out her hand for him to take it. He took it, and surprisingly pulled her into a hug, whispering in hear ear.

"Thank you, again," They both let out a chuckle and let go, looking into each other's eyes. Toothless looked at them in awe. How two humans with such a horrible past together, as Hiccup told him, could be reunited to a better future? How two humans could easily fall in love by only looking in each other's eyes? To be honest, he had to agree they would fit perfectly together. Both were skinny, just that Astrid had a stronger figure, both had mesmerizing eyes that could make any person faint of amazement, both intelligent and both of them had something no Viking was supposed to have, a warm heart.

Later that day, they went their separate ways to their homes. Astrid went to get some rest while Hiccup had to go through his evening habit. As he opened the doors, two of the healers in Berk sat by the table with his father, talking and laughing which abruptly stopped as he walked inside. The healers let go of their mugs of mead and went to get a few bandages. Sighing, Hiccup walked in with the support of his crutches and sat down on the bed. Not once did he dare to meet his father's eyes. He was still unsure of forgiving him, but he couldn't avoid him for the rest of his live, could he? He had two options, either make his father go through the same as him and let him feel the pain of being ignored by family members, or he could forgive him and everything would be fine. Then again, he wasn't a person to let anyone feel pain if it was from his own causes. Looking up, he scanned the room and noticed no one there but him and his father sitting with his back to him.

"I'm willing… to forgive you…," He said slowly, taking deep breaths as he looked up to see his father's back still facing him. "I'm willing to forgive you for everything," He repeated, and this time his father turned around, his eyes shocked and great full. But what escaped his lips was another thing.

"Why?" He asked simply, looking down in shame.

"Because I'm not the person who… who could let someone be in pain… Because I'm not Alvin. I'm not a heartless person who wants to watch someone live in pain on my own terms, and not as long as I can fix it. Just promise me you won't do something like that, ever again," A tear escaped his eyes. He wiped it away with his sleeves and looked up. His father stepped up from his chair, leaving the mead by the table as he walked closer and closer. Kneeling down to face his son, he wrapped his arms around the tiny boy and let out a heavy breath.

"I wouldn't dream of it," He said, burying his head in his son's shoulder. Tears streamed down his face as he held his son tightly in his arms, once and for all. It had taken him so much effort to feel like this again, and thinking about it, he hadn't really felt like this since the day he embraced his son in a hug after finding him alone in the woods. He was scared half to death when he came home that night after a raid, finding the house empty. It turns out Hiccup went out searching for trolls, but ended up crying in the dark as he fell over a log. "How are you feeling?" He asked, thinking of the whole, losing-a-limb-at-the-age-of-fifth-teen-thing.

"I'm fine, dad. I just hope it won't be as horrible as I imagine it to be," Hiccup explained to his father, but didn't seem to notice that he hadn't got anything he said after the word he'd been longing to hear for so many days, the word any father would hear constantly, the word that could bring joy to a family and people individual. Finally they let go of each other and stared into each other eyes, joy and happiness in their eyes. Hiccup smiled one of his crooked smiles, but it soon turned into a frown as he heard someone entering the room. As instinct, he knew what it meant and so did his father. The healers stepped forward as Stoick made room for them. They kneeled down with bandages, a cloth and some water. Hiccup just sat back and tried to relax as the bandage loosened, making him flinch in pain.

"By the looks of it, you may try to move to the next level in a week or so," One of them said, placing the wet cloth on his 'battle wound'. Once again, Hiccup flinched, moving his leg back a little as the coldness sent him shivers down his spines, and the water sending knives up his leg. He tried to hold a firm face, but failed many times as the cloth began to press in force and rub back and forth slowly.

Stoick watched every move the healers did, feeling very over-protective over his son, even though he knew they were only helping him. He noticed his son pull his leg a bit back by the touch of the soaked cloth. The one holding the cloth had to his leg, lightly, in attempt to hold it still as they did their job. He noticed how much his son's expression told him how uncomfortable he felt by the touch around his stump. Just as he was about to say something, someone cut him off.

"All cleaned up now!" the healer to his left side said, attaching the last part of the bandage. Hiccup let out a sigh of relief, but wince in pain as his broken ribs sent a painful feeling through his whole body. The healers was about to speak up again, but this time got cut off by their chief.

"I'll take care of it, thank you for the help," Stoick gave them a warm smile before they left the house. He walked over to Hiccup and kneeled down once again, taking a roll of bandages in his hands. "I need to check your ribs."

"What? No! I-I mean… I'm fine; everything's alright, nothing wrong with-ahck!" Hiccup tried to sound cool, gesturing to himself but managed to get the painful feeling back for a short second. Stoick gave him a look saying how-is-your-definition-of-fine-to-you-? Hiccup sighed in defeat, taking the tunic off, revealing a few faint blue and red marks, and a bandage around his chest.

Stoick unwrapped the bandage, holding him up, and examined him. His hands went over the ribs, scanning for anything unusual, but received a groan of pain from his son, right underneath his right arm. He took that as a queue to where the pain was felt the most and held his arm above his head. None of the ribs were tearing at his skin, and he sighed in relief that it was nothing but the same broken bones. The area was bluish and a little hint of yellow. He took a bowl of ointment on the marks around his body, and wrapped the bandages back on.

"Get some rest now. Wouldn't want that rib to get worse," Stoick chuckled, helping his son put his clothes back on and lay him carefully down. "All good?"

"A little cold, but all good," Hiccup said, closing his eyes. Stoick took another blanket of fur and wrapped it carefully around his son; making him moan in delight of the warmth and safe feeling he gave him. He took a step back, looking down at his son who lie peacefully and cozy in his spot. It was great, having the feeling of finally doing something good again. "Mhhmm, Good night, dad," He whispered, but loud enough for the both of them to hear clearly.

"Good night, son."


	48. Chapter 48

A whole, boring, week passed by as Hiccup had to wait with exercising his left leg, but the good thing was that his nightmares had finally disappeared. They gave him permission a week ago to start the training, and today was the special day. Hiccup woke up with a wide smile on his face that covered half of his face. Hurrying up, he got his crutches, and Toothless carried him downstairs along with his new prosthetic leg. He felt happy, but at the same time worried that me might fail on the progress and never be able to walk by himself, ever again.

Stoick sat by the table, eating soup from a bowl in his large chair. If Hiccup ever tried to sit there, it would only take one out of five of its space. He stared at the empty chair in front of him in silence, enjoying the peaceful mornings with only his son by his side. After the past week, he knew his son would be there in about now, and as if on cue the two made their way downstairs and he said, "Good morning, son."

"Morning, dad! DO you know what day it is?!" Hiccup asked happily, sitting down in his chair as he began eating. He stared at his father excitedly, eating his food in rapid speed.

"Woah, slow down son. Let me see… Saturday?" Stoick chuckled slightly at his son's sudden happiness. It was hard for him to contain his laughter at how fast Hiccup actually ate his breakfast.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, chuckling a bit but then corrected him. "No, it's the day I can finally learn how to walk again!" He said in joy, laughing in happiness. Stoick couldn't contain his laughter anymore and joined him in the beautiful morning exercise. "When can I start?"

"Depends on when old Gobber decides to wake up," Just then Gobber came in, joining in on the happy mood.

"I'm not old! In fact, younger than you, and second, I don't sleep that long," Gobber said the last part, looking shyly at the ground, fiddling with his hands. Once again, the two burst out in laughter, and a happy night fury joining in. He walked over to get Hiccup's metal leg that lay on the board.

"Let's see. Since you need to get used to this, let's start with attaching it. See this one?" He asked, holding up a strap with a metal dot and a few holes in it. Hiccup nodded and watched, "Put your leg through this one, place it inside this crater in with fur to soften it and attach it as tight as you want, but not too tight. Then you're free to go!" Gobber helped him up from his chair and steadied him as he almost lost balance. Hiccup thought twice about placing his prosthetic on the ground, thinking it may be painful or uncomfortable.

"Go on," Gobber said, gesturing to his leg. Hesitating, he moved his leg closer to the floor, ready to lean more of his weight on it. The tip of the metal met the wooden floor, and soon followed the rest of it. Hiccup took a deep breath, placing more weight on it, but regretted it once he lost his balance. Luckily Toothless caught him and brought him back on his feet.

"Thanks, bud," he let go of Toothless's head after giving him a stretch and kept going. Closing his eyes, he limped forward and kept limping, every time trying to make it better. To Stoick and Gobber's surprise it only took him about ten times walking back and forth and he was already walking like a professional.

"Good job Hiccup! Looks like a professional already, aye Stoick?" Gobber said. "Better than that!" Stoick pulled Hiccup in for a hug, and pulled away after a few seconds, giving him and approving, yet warm, smile.

"Does this mean I can go out flying now? Toothless here has been complaining a lot lately," Hiccup grinned, scratching his dragons chin. Gobber looked at Stoick who nodded. With that, Hiccup walked out of the house, nearly running, with Toothless's tail in his hands. Behind him he could hear a few chuckles and he couldn't help but smile. Once they came outside, Toothless moved his tail forwards so Hiccup could attach the tailfin along with his saddle. Toothless stared curiously, watching his best friend attach the advanced invention, and also amazed that someone could make it all by themselves. Well, Hiccup couldn't exactly get all the credit. Toothless helped just like he helped him with his flying issue. A click was heard and Hiccup sighed in relief.

"Finally! Now what do you say we take a lap around the island?" Toothless bowed, letting Hiccup on his saddle and click his foot in the right pace. They were about to set off when they heard a familiar voice along with a few wings flapping.

"Mind if we join you?" Astrid asked, gesturing for the rest of her friends. Hiccup smiled, and lightly patted Toothless's side, making him set off into the midday sun light. He couldn't help but yell out in joy, holding his hands to his sides as he flew around Berk a couple of times.

"Who's in for a best trick competition?" Astrid asked as they landed on one of the sea stacks outside of Berk. Everyone nodded in agreement. Fishlegs was about to fly off, but got off by an ear piercing scream.

"Were here to light the sky on FIREEE!" They hadn't really caught the first things he said, but managed to hear the last part where his dragon, Hookfang, flew off the cliff and dived towards the ocean. The other riders watch as they made their way towards a narrow opening in a small mountain. Failing, Hookfang lost control and flew right into the mountain, sending them both to the ocean.

"Well, that was unexpected," Hiccup muttered quietly under his breath as Snotlout came back behind them and landed, panting hard.

"I'm alive. I'M ALIVE! Of course I am," He said, kissing his 'muscles' while making a pose to, once again, try and impress Astrid who happened to almost puke in her mouth.

"My turn! My turn!" Fishlegs said happily, flying up in the air on his dragon Meatlug. They flew to the end of the cliff and suddenly dropped. The dragons watched, worried for the two of them when suddenly they heard yelling once again. "PULL UP! PULL UP! PULL UP!" Fishlegs screamed, and before he knew it, he was right above the ocean, covering his eyes to wait for the impact. The two of them flew back up, without Fishlegs opening his eyes once.

"You can see now, Fishlegs," Astrid said, crossing her arms. Fishlegs looked around, taking in the surroundings but then noticed nothing was as he expected. No deep, dark, salty water, or him freezing to death by the cold winter water. He let out the air in his lungs, sighing heavily as he calmed down.

"My turn!" Both of the twins yelled at the same time. They looked at each other angrily, starting a staring contest.

"Guys, same dragon," Hiccup groaned, mentally face palming. The twins let out a sound of understanding then fist bumped as if nothing had happened, and then set off. Barf and Tuffnut's dragon, flew down towards another tiny sea stack and stopped. The others looked at them questioningly, but then heard a blast followed by rocks trembling and splashing as they hit the ocean. Once the smoke cleared, none of them could see the sea stack, not even a single sign that it had ever been one there. Once again Hiccup face palmed, crossing his arms as the twins landed with their dragon.

"I believe it's my turn then. You better take some notes," Astrid said, giving Hiccup a proud smile as she kicked the side of her dragon, making them set off. She flew up in the air, diving to the ocean and just a few seconds away from hitting; they pulled up and began spinning around like two maniacs. She took a few loops before landing back on the sea stack, getting amazed glances by all of them, even their dragons.

"Looks like we got some more work to do," Hiccup chuckled, patting Toothless's side and they set off. They flew high into the sky, making sure none of them could see them, and then they floated in the air. "You ready for our planned trick?" He asked Toothless who made a growl of disapproval in his 'voice'. Hiccup laughed, taking his prosthetic out of place and fell over to the side. He fell down alongside Toothless, both smiling happily.

Toothless stuck his tongue out, showing off his gums. They both relaxed for a few more seconds until they could hear the sound of the ocean, hitting the sides of the sea stacks below them. Hiccup opened his eyes, taking a glance at the riders as he passed them and fell a few more seconds until he strapped himself back onto Toothless, pulling up just in time. They took a few turns around the sea stacks until they found the one the others stayed on, and landed as if nothing happened. Hiccup patted Toothless's side happily and then looked up to see the other's staring at him, and their dragons, as if they were insane.

"What?" Hiccup asked, breaking the awkward silence as he felt uncomfortable by them staring so much.

"You have to teach us how to do that!" The twins yelled out excitedly, everyone except Astrid, nodded in agreement. She had her arms crossed with a death glare, then out of nowhere she punched him in the shoulder.

"What was that for?!" He yelled, rubbing his shoulder with his good one.

"What were you thinking? You could've died!" Astrid yelled back, giving him a harder death glare.

"Sorry, but it's ok. I know Toothless will always have my back, and he knows I'll always have his. That's the thing about dragons, they trust their riders just like we trust our loved ones," Hiccup explained calmly, looking deep into Astrid's blue orbs. They stared for a few more seconds before she finally gave up, groaning in defeat. Hiccup smiled at her before flying off towards Berk in to the sunset.


	49. Chapter 49

Stoick went out of the house after Hiccup went off to fly on Toothless. His happy mood was turned on by the thought of his son walking properly again, well, almost. He passed by many Vikings doing their usual tasks to keep the village from breaking apart. Something felt strange as he walked in the streets of Berk. How no one complained and most of all, how Mildew had suddenly disappeared. He hadn't seen him in months, and never had he even thought of looking in his house.

Passing by Gobber's workshop, he thought maybe they could go check it out together. Mostly because Gobber is a better detective than himself, and other reasons. "Gobber! I need your help!" Stoick shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth to make the voice louder. He could hear a few metal objects and buckets fall on the ground, following a little trembling sound from a bucket going around and around. Just around the corner of the shop, he found Gobber standing completely still, not moving a single muscle. Crossbows were pointed directly at him, but some places, where there could've been place to a few more of them, were just empty space.

"It appears I've trapped myself in my own… Boobytrap," Gobber whispered, not taking his eyes off the crossbows. Stoick rolled his eyes, getting instructions from his friend about disarming his traps since Gobber was completely useless at the moment.

After an hour or so of trying to get Gobber out of his so called boobie trap, they finally finished. "Now what did ye need help with?" Gobber asked, brushing the imaginary dust off his clothing.

"Well, I walked around Berk, not latterly, and noticed how quiet it was. No complaining at all. And that made me curious of where that grumpy old Mildew and his sheep fungus went off to," Stoick explained, walking out of the forge as Gobber attached his hook.

"And you want to find out where he could be?" Gobber said questioningly, but understood his friend perfectly fine. Stoick nodded and they made their way towards the old man's house.

When they arrived, they went inside and saw everything just as they had expected. Book shelves were empty, closets dusty, bed uncovered, paintings of his three wives and sheep all gone, and table covered in dusty layers. Stoick ran his finger along the table, examining the dustiness of the house while Gobber went around, sniffing at materials. "I think I found something," Stoick said, taking a hold of a letter that was almost invisible to their eye sight. It had been covered with a thick layer of dust and dirt, making the piece of paper get sloppy and having a camouflage that no one with a bad eye would have seen. Gobber walked over to him as he read it. "Out on a fishing trip with me fungus. No time decided," Stoick sighed.

"Another mystery solved, aye?" Gobber chuckled, walking out of the house and headed straight back to work. Stoick stood behind and thought, fishing trip for almost four months? He chuckled to himself, curling the paper into a ball and threw it behind him as he walked out and closed the door. But what they didn't know was that it really wasn't a fishing trip. More like cooperation with a hostile, yet known to the Berkians, Island.


	50. Chapter 50

Weeks passed by and many things had happened in Berk. Gobber had gotten the job to make dragon teeth and fix them while also going on about his weaponry job as a blacksmith. The animals learned to finally trust dragons, heather was brought back to her island along with her parents, dragons got poisoned but somehow Hiccup and his friends managed to fix that. Let's just say it didn't end very well for Tuffnut's butt, though he did 'enjoy' the pain a little. Stoick got his own dragon after a long, very long day of fighting and saving his now new friend, Thornado, which is the first trained Thunderdrum on Berk and probably the rest of the archipelago. Other than that, nothing's changed except maybe the not so good foot anymore.

Hiccup didn't want to admit it or even talk about his pain from his left leg. At the evenings before bed he would get a few healing herbs to ease the pain when it was at its worst. His leg somehow had turned back to its normal color a few weeks ago, but then it began to get redder and redder as time passed. It almost looked blood soaked as his normal blood veins showed through his skin, but down there it looked almost like poison.

It was bright and early, sky bluer than ever as Hiccup took in the sight of a winter seasoned day. Only a few days away from Snoggletog, their traditional celebration in the winter season. Over Berk lay layers of snow, and Hiccup couldn't help but feel happy at the sight in front of him, but impatient night fury kept jumping on the roof tops in hope to get its riders attention. "Okay, okay Toothless, I'm coming," He walked down his doorsteps, feeling pain shoot through his foot at every hard step, but ignored it like the other days and walked lighter, almost limping.

Toothless jumped off the roof, landing in the snow as he swam around in it. He could hear Hiccup laugh behind him and stood up properly, but failed as the ice beneath him took over his balance. Struggling, he walked over to the snow, almost falling on his stomach every step, but managed to get over there. "What do you say? Take a day off from saving everyone again?" Hiccup smirked, scratching his best friends chin and received a purr in pleasure. Toothless broke out of the trance, licking his face as a yes to his question. "Okay Toothless, slow down. Eww," He said, trying to get the saliva off him but failed. He shrugged it off and climbed onto Toothless and they both set off to relax.

Hours passed as the duo stayed in a clearing where the snow or cold had yet to reach. It was still hot as in the summer and the grass was softer than ever. Toothless lay curled around his rider as he sleeps on his paws. Hiccup had his palms under his head, leaning onto Toothless stomach to keep warm. He had gone home a few hours back to get his fur coat that he had gotten from Ruthus. He really does miss him. Wearing it feels right, just to remember him better and it helps to make him feel closer. His thoughts were broken to pieces as wings flapping behind him caught his attention. Turning around, tensed up, he saw the familiar dragons and the riders on top, and relaxed his clenched fists.

"Hey, guys," He greeted them as they landed behind. He turned back around, facing the beautiful ocean that shone underneath the sun's reflection. They sat down next to him, looking out at the ocean along with him.

"So, what are you doing?" Astrid asked, breaking the awkward silence between them all. She couldn't bare the silence any longer and noticed she hadn't bothered to ask earlier. All the attention was led to Hiccup who was staring down at his feet, well, foot.

"Nah, I'm just thinking about stuff," He said, leaning back against Toothless and closed his eyes, but he wish he hadn't as the darkness took over his eyes and dreams.

Hiccup was back on Outcast Island, lying in fear for Alvin to return. He had enough of Alvin's torture and wanted so badly to know how it felt like to be whole. How it felt like to walk without pain and most of all, how it felt like to be free. Free from this smelly prison that had two scents he had gotten to used to for all those days. The smell of blood and metal. Mostly his own blood as he had to change places so he wouldn't drown, and other than that it smelt like metal because of the guards passing by and the huge metal door before him.

He tried to relax, but there was no use. The pain was unbearable and once he fell asleep he either had a nightmare or the pain woke him up from an unknown move in his sleep. Sometimes he would just lay in a ball, cry and cry of pain and sorrow, but surprisingly most sorrow. He thought how it could have been if he didn't find Toothless, and how his life would have been without him being the newest hero or now, a traitor to his own people. When thinking about it, the words he heard every day hurt him more than the whips to his skin or the hammer crushing his bone. It hurt something that couldn't be healed as easily as normal gashes on his skin. It hurt his heart every word he received, walking to the forge or out of his house to get food for his father and himself.

Hiccup couldn't tell precisely what time at the day it was, but he could always tell the time when Alvin came to get him. His thoughts broke to pieces as the sound of metal hitting metal came closer and closer. Then the biggest fear of his life appeared in front of his cell door, holding a new and more improved whip that could leave holes in his skin if it hit the right positions. He backed away as far as his body would let him, knowing it was no use but couldn't think of anything else.

Alvin came in, locking the door behind him and walked closer. By every step he took, his hand rose along with the whip, higher and higher until it was behind his head. He kneeled down to hit him better and used all his strength to bring it down on the boy. Then it hit.

"Hiccup!" Astrid yelled, shaking his shoulders harder and harder for the seconds that passed without him waking up. He took them by surprise as his body flew up in fast speed, letting him sit up straight. His hands examined his body as his eyes looked deeply into the ocean blue ones. He could tell they belonged to Astrid, and noticed the worry in her eyes. His breathing relaxed as he took in his surroundings and the peace in it. He could still feel the sweat on his skin, dripping off his forehead. "You fell asleep, and had a nightmare! Do you… want to talk about it?" She asked calmly, looking deep into his eyes.

This time he knew there was no escaping, and maybe the nightmares would stop if only he let it all out. Taking a deep breath, changing position he said, "I was back on Outcast Island," He said, looking down to the water splashing onto the shores underneath them.

"It was more like a memory… to me, back to when I lay in that cell, hoping one day I would get out of there. There wasn't much I could do other than lay there all night in pain until Alvin would come back to… to get answers out of me on how to train his dragons. The first thing I remember was waking up on his ship a few hours before we reached his Island. My leg was badly injured before I even set foot on the Island," Hiccup paused, wiggling his leg a little.

"Right away, he put me in a cell and already the first night he had tortured me. He sent two guards down to my cell, one had a hammer and the other had a dragon bone in his hand. The last thing I remember from that night was them hitting me until I passed out. The next few days he brought his 'favorite' whip as he called it, and every time I refused to tell him anything, he used it. Then at the day I… you know… died… I had escaped but they managed to get me back to Alvin and he gave me a little punishment for running off. That's when he ordered his best man, Savage to get rid of me. The rest is still blurry though," He finished, not taking his eyes off the horizon once. It was as if his eyes were glued to the water while he had spoken. The others couldn't do anything but feel worse than they already were. They had wanted so badly to know what had happened, but were too selfish to think of what he had actually been through. After all he was found when he had died.

"H-How did you survive?" Astrid asked, her voice cracking as she imagined what he had been through. He looked into her ocean blue eyes which was filled with tears being held back. He sighed and looked back at the horizon.

"I don't know. All I know is that I went to Valhalla, and… and met my grandfather there, he told me to get back before something he called a reaper came and found me. Though he said something unbelievable to me," Hiccup paused, thinking if he should tell them or not.

"What did he say?" Fishlegs asked, changing position to get a better and more comfortable position.

"He said… he said my mother… wasn't there."

"Am I crazy or did he just say what I think he said?" Tuffnut asked, earning a punch from his sister. Hiccup sighed, looking down at his feet again. Astrid moved closer, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder as she pulled him in for a hug. She allows him to rest his head on her shoulder as they all look out at the sea once again.

Hiccup remembered something he had wanted to ask her for a long time but didn't think he'd have a chance of getting the honor of doing it, but now with everything happening and him being the hero, who also happens to be closer to Astrid, he thought he'd have a good opportunity. After all it was a beautiful day. "Hey guys? Can I talk to Astrid, erhm, alone?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck as he sat up, looking at them. They nodded, walking away to their dragons as they said things like,

"Love in the aaair,"

"Don't get too comfy,"

They both just rolled their eyes, staring back at the horizon with faces blushing. Astrid decided to break the awkward silence, once again, and asked, "So… what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh right, cause I was thinking thaaat, you know, Snoggletog is coming up and the traditional dance and all that, and I was wondering if y-you… may… happen too… want to go with… m-me,?" Hiccup stuttered terribly, scratching his neck nervously for the answer.

Astrid was shocked at the question, but sort of figured out he would ask when he mentioned Snoggletog and the dance. She laughed at his way of saying it, looking into his now disappointed eyes that were leaving hers, but she refused to let that happen. She lightly lifted his chin with her finger, looking deeply into the disappointed boy's soul, giving him a warm smile. Out of nowhere she pulled him into a quick kiss. "I would love to go to the Snoggletog party with you," She laughed once they pulled away. Hiccup could help but fist bump in the air, standing up quick as lightning as he jumped up in the sky, still fist bumping, but as he landed back on the ground after his first jump, Astrid noticed him wince in pain. Hurriedly, she stood up, her happy expression changing into a worried one.

"Are you okay?" She asked, putting her hands on his shoulders.

"I-I'm fine," He stuttered, standing up straight. His palms felt clammy as the wind tried to dry it but failed over and over again.

"No, you're not. I'm taking you back to your father whether you like it or not," She said, grabbing his hand, pulling him over to Toothless who was playing with Stormfly. They stopped and walked over to their riders, letting them on their back and then they set off towards the village.


	51. Chapter 51

They landed back in the village a few minutes later, in front of Hiccup's house in hope to find his father there, or actually, just anyone. Hiccup jumped off Toothless, but regretted once he landed on his feet, feeling the pain rush up his foot and through his body. Astrid ran over to him, placing his shoulder around her neck to help him walk. "And I thought it was all back to normal…," Hiccup sighed, really not needing this a few days before what would become the best night of his life. They walked inside the house, only to find it empty. Hiccup sat down in his bed, which hadn't been moved up just yet. His father wanted him to have it down there for a while later so he could keep an eye on him just in case of any more nightmares.

"Astrid?" Hiccup said, looking up at her with a weak look. She looked back to him as if giving the signal to continue. "I don't feel so good," He whispered, closing his eyes as his hands rested on his stomach where nausea was building up.

Astrid panicked, scanning the area for any sign of a bucket or anything like it. She had to hurry, that much she knew, and as if on cue she found a bucket across the room. Running as if her life depended on it, she grabbed the bucket and ran back just in time to give it to Hiccup. He felt as if his insides were pleading to come out and land in the bottom of the bucket. The taste in his mouth was awful but at the same time strangely familiar. Without having time to go further into the thought, his insides pushed up his throat even though he was sure he hadn't eaten in hours. Astrid stood behind him, patting his back to comfort him. She whistled for Toothless and only a second later he was by her side.

"I need you to go with Stormfly to find Hiccup's father and Gobber," At that he set off.

Toothless searched on the ground and Stormfly took the sky in attempt to find the two brawny Vikings. He searched and searched, running around like a maniac as he got whispers and confused look which he shrugged off easily. Many times had he passed by the forge, ran by the unlit torches by the town square and up and down hills, but without luck he couldn't find any signs of them.

Stormfly landed beside him as he had stood with his head low, feeling like a failure. She nudged him playfully in attempt to lighten up his mood but nothing would. His head rested in his paws as he looked at the open space in the air. Vikings noticed and started to crowd around the two of them, dropping everything they had whether it was buckets, food or stuffed puppets of dragons and lambs. The only thing that seemed to get their attention was the sorrowful dragon, but that also got them wondering, where was their hero? Where was his best friend? Where was his companion for life?

The due lay in the town square, not caring of anything at the moment. An angry voice shouted through the crowd, pushing itself through it. "What are all these people staring at?!" Stoick yelled, looking down at the frozen solid Vikings. Toothless ran up to him, taking him by surprise as he had finally made his way through the massive crowd. He ran around his rider's father, happily jumping up and down.

"Woah, Toothless, slow down. What's going on? Where's Hiccup?" Toothless's face turned into a frown when he remembered his only mission he had been so depressed of almost failing at. He gently walked behind Stoick, nudging his back towards their house. He ran in lead, making the crowd make a path for him as he ran up the hill, standing just outside their door. Stoick understood nothing but to follow and ran up the hill in top speed, rushing up and in the door but only to be met by a feverish boy, lying in bed with a bucket in his hands with a girl standing by his side. He stood there frozen for a couple of seconds before he ran over to his side, taking hold of his hand as he sat lightly on the side of his bed.

Neither of them knew what to do, other than hope he would soon recover from his sudden outburst. Only a few minutes back he had been fine, but the next second they know, he's fully feverish. The strange thing was that it was all so familiar to Stoick. He didn't know why, but something felt like it had happened before, long back in time. Then it hit him. "I need to find Gobber," He said, standing up. He was about to let go of Hiccup's small hand, but felt it squeeze in response. Looking back he saw Hiccup trying to talk, but couldn't make out the real words.

"Phease… doun't lheave mi dad," He whispered, struggling to talk properly. His father looked from him to Astrid, and just as he was about to say something, she had already set off to find Gobber. He held his grip on the bucket tighter, feeling the nausea kick in much worse than before. His father couldn't do anything. After all, he was a very unexperienced father. All he could think of was the depressing feeling inside him, feeling the need of doing something but didn't know what, and he couldn't help but say silent prayers in his head, thinking of his Valhallarama and how much better she would be at this.

Only minutes passed, but for Stoick it felt like hours until Gobber finally showed up. He tried to not let yell at him for being late and fortunately managed to keep it in and replace the anger with sadness. Gobber gasped at the sight of Hiccup's pale body clutching onto a wooden bucket with all his strength.

"Hiccup, I, uhm, need to see your leg lad," Gobber said, walking over to the end of the bed where his feet would be. Hiccup didn't feel comfortable to let anyone even touch it, let alone see it. He wished there was a way he could just hide it, and prevent it from being seen by any living creature. But then again, that's how life is. You go through ups and downs, happy and sad moments, proud or embarrass for or of something. That's just how fate decides to go, and no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to change fate. But that doesn't mean you won't try.

"No-o, I-I'm fine," he said quickly, pulling his aching foot away from him as Gobber reached for the prosthetic part. Gobber noticed his uncomfortableness and pulled his hand away from the covers, sighing.

"Hiccup, I know what is going on. Believe me, I do. Just please let me see it," Gobber said softly, remembering his period of going through the same. Mostly it happened to everyone who had an amputated leg and not really gotten really used to it or was embarrass, but other times they just couldn't accept the fact that they were no longer whole. How Gobber has gotten the information in, he believes Hiccup has a blending of, well, everything, but no one could blame him. After all, he's still just a teenager with only one leg.

Hiccup relaxed a little, feeling the nausea fade away slowly. He let Gobber reach for the prosthetic once more without moving it away. Gobber gently held his foot, unstrapping the leg from his body, but when he removed it fully, his expression turned from soft to shock. Hiccup's leg was blood red, but no blood had been spilled, and his cut veins were showing through his skin in an oddly way, ending the trail just over his knee. By removing the leg, Hiccup flinched, taking in the coolness on his feet as he felt his leg getting air in a strangely way. He already knew how his leg looked like, and the thought made him gag even more, letting him feel as if the nausea never left.

"How long have it been like this?" Gobber asked, still shocked of the condition to Hiccup's amputated leg.

"I-I don't know, a few days tops," Hiccup managed to say, trying to calm down his breathing but failed as a cold hand touched his stump, making him flinch back. Gobber apologized, examining it gentler.

"Well, it looks like it's infected. All we can do is clean it, give you the right medicine and get your leg some rest. Shouldn't take long," Gobber explained, mostly referring to Stoick so he could feel a little more helpful than watching all that was happening. He had to admit, everything was exhausting since the peace came. He just wanted everything to be normal for once. Without anything happening to Hiccup as if the upcoming injuries were his consequences for such a heroic title.

"I should get back to preparing for Snoggletog. Astrid, could you stay with him?" Stoick asked, standing up slowly. Astrid nodded in response and watched the two brawny Vikings leave the Haddock house.


	52. Chapter 52

Surprisingly, Hiccup recovered only three days later of staying inside and having Astrid to nurse him by his father's orders. This was also the day his bed got moved back up into his room. After spending so much time together with Astrid, they made a few plans on training their dragons in the cove since there were no other places to do so. They had set up a schedule of exercises every day for a week, and with Snoggletog coming up they decided to take it easy and begin with baby steps.

First exercise was about trust. Both set it up without hesitation, and thought it was a good exercise to see if the riders trusted their dragons as much as the dragons trusted them. Of course, they had no problem on doing so and most likely Snotlout wouldn't mind since he always tried to man up for Astrid, but thinking of Fishlegs and the twins, they weren't so sure what their reaction would end up being. Hiccup and Astrid waited in the cove for the four to arrive on their dragons, and only minutes later they finally came.

"Okay gang, today there will be a trust exercise above ground," Hiccup explained before flying off into the morning daylight and high up into the clouds. "You will be jumping off your dragon and just before you hit the water your dragon will catch you. It's a trust exercise, like this," He unstrapped his leg and safety harness then jumped off of Toothless, and dived down to the sharp rocks sticking out of the surface of the ocean.

"Why does he always have to do that?" Fishlegs asked nervously, struggling to keep floating above ground. Astrid just laughed, looking back down at Hiccup as they flew back up to them.

"Who's next?" Hiccup asked as if nothing had happened. To their surprise Snotlout had already slide off Hookfang's back and fell fast down to the ocean.

"NOT FEELING THE TRUST! HOOKFANG!" Snotlout yelled, spinning around. Hookfang snapped out of his thoughts, panicking as he saw his rider fall down to the ocean. He flew at high speed, trying to reach him but noticed he was to slow to catch him in time. Hiccup and Toothless noticed as well and dove down to get him. The due flew past Hookfang in full speed, catching Snotlout just in time before he hit the surface. They flew back to the rest, ignoring the angry shouts from Snotlout to his dragon that fired up his body, almost setting Snotlout on fire, again.

"Need to work more on that one. Ruff, Tuff, you're up," The twins nodded, sliding off their dragon in two different directions. Barf and Tuffnut's dragon head, flew in different direction trying to get to their riders but crashed into the closest sea stack. Astrid rushed down to catch Ruffnut while Hiccup took care of Tuffnut just before they hit the ocean. Barf flew up, steading itself and picked up both the riders who almost fainted from shock.

"We almost died," Ruffnut groaned, leaning her weight on the dragons head.

"We did? Barf! Do it again!" Tuffnut said happily, straightening up in his seat as if nothing happened before.

"Next one, Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked, looking around for him.

"I'd like to do the trusting on the ground, thank you very much. After all, it didn't end very well in our best trick competition a few days back," Fishlegs explained, feeling the thought of falling towards frozen water in rapid speed was a think you only did once in a life time.

"Okay, I'm not going to make you do it if you don't want to, Astrid?" Hiccup gave Fishlegs a warm smile before turning to see Astrid and Stormfly gone.

"Already ahead of you!" She screamed, diving alongside Stormfly like Hiccup did with Toothless only minutes ago. They did a perfect trusting exercise before flying back up to the others.

"Great job guys, that's it for today and we'll meet again tomorrow in the-," Fishlegs cut him off.

"What is that ship doing so close to Berk?" He asked, pointing to a small ship on the horizon.

"I don't know, let's check it out guys," They flew down towards the ship in a line, hoping the ship wasn't hostile and to their surprise it was the old grumpy man of the village returning from his fishing trip. "Afternoon Mildew, need some help?" Hiccup offered, landing on deck. Mildew was taken by surprise, thinking it was a dragon attack but the familiar voice proved him wrong.

"W-what?!" He shrieked, jumping back in surprise as he put his staff up in defense. The dragons growled at his staff, mostly because it had dragon teeth attached to it, but also finding it as a threat. Without Mildew having a say in it, the dragons grabbed ropes that were attached to the ship, and flew up in the air, bringing the ship back to Berk.


	53. Chapter 53

Next day came and finally the village could have a little peace from Mildews return the day before and not just that, but also his panicking voice screaming around in the village like a little girl, whenever a dragon passed or sniffed him to the ground. Literally. The day before, Hiccup had asked his friends to meet him in a clearing in the woods, just off raven's point. This time he decided to take them and their dragons to a little clearing he and Toothless knew, and loved, so well.

There they lay, half covered in the show and soft grass revealed some places underneath the snow. Toothless crawled around, jumping like a maniac as he enjoyed the feeling of grass and snow, both his favorites, brush against his scaly skin. Hiccup stood there in his fur coat from his dear grandfather, giggling at the sight of his friend enjoying the moment and he couldn't wait to see his friends dragons end up being the same and leave their riders dumbfounded. He had discovered the little clearing after a few attempts, that didn't end very well, on flying Toothless just a few days after they had met and he tried to figure out a way of using the tail properly.

Suddenly Toothless bounced on Hiccup, pinning him to the ground as they both laughed. Hiccup pretended to punch him as Toothless played along by defending himself.

"Dragons and Vikings, enemies again! Locked in combat till the bitter-," Toothless laid his heavy head on top of Hiccups chest as he stared in to Hiccup eyes which moved quickly away as he pretended to play dead. "Aaahh," Hiccup fake groaned, laying his hands down in defeat, but soon brought them back up as Toothless brought out his big, slimy tongue against his skin.

"Aww, Toothless, come on," Finally, Hiccup managed to escape Toothless's grasp, pushing himself up from the ground as he examined the saliva on his furry coat. "It will be a miracle to get this out, pff."

"Looks like someone's been having fun lately," Astrid came out of her hideout since she couldn't keep herself from watching Hiccup laugh and him not worrying about anything. Toothless made a unknown, strange sound from his throat, sounding as laughter. Dragon like laughter. Hiccup frowned at the sound, gathering some saliva from his clothes and 'attacked' Toothless with it by lubricating it all around his body. Astrid stood there, her dragon Stormfly watching over her shoulder as her rider scratched her chin while the two watched the great dragon master and what looked like his little puppy, having a saliva fight with each other. Of course Toothless had a better advantage on that

Stormfly watched happily, deciding to join the two by licking her rider playfully. "Eww, Stormfly hahaha," Astrid laughed, trying to wipe out the saliva but getting no luck. She threw it back at Stormfly who wiped it away from her snout with her wings. Stormfly returned the action by chasing after her like a maniac, sometimes pinning Astrid to the ground so that the snow attached to her clothing due to the saliva.

"Ehem," Someone fake coughed, snapping the four out of their games. They turned their heads to find Snotlout tapping his foot annoyed with Fishlegs and the twins standing behind him along with their dragons. Toothless let Hiccup out of his grip, helped him to stand and face the group while wiping some saliva and snow off of him. "So? What did you call us here for?" Snotlout asked, scratching his nightmare's chin.

"Right," Hiccup began, standing up straight with a hand scratching Toothless's chin. "You know, since there's not going to be training before Snoggletog is over, I thought that maybe we could have a little day off," He grinned, walking over to Stormfly and scratched her chin happily. He led her towards the clearing of snow that hid the softest land on the island. He whispered in her 'ear' telling her to lightly melt the snow. She looked at him confused but obeyed shortly after and melted it perfectly. Almost immediately, she ran off to the clearing of grass, shortly after followed by the rest of the dragons. Their riders watched confused as their companions rolled around in the grass, looking like small puppies.

"Wow, what is that?" Fishlegs asked excitedly, squealing in happiness to finally learn something more about dragons.

"I call it, dragon nip!" Hiccup said dramatically, waving his hands in the air. He grabbed a handful of dragon nip and walked over to Toothless with his hand. He rubbed the grass against his snout, watching him fall to the ground in delight. Turning around, he found the teens dumbfounded, but it didn't even pass a second before they were off doing the same thing to their dragons.

Once all the dragons had fallen in a 'delighted coma' as you could call it, their riders leaned against their bellies and relaxed as they chatted about different and weird stuff all day long.


	54. Chapter 54

The clouds were grey, preventing the sunlight from lightening up the island of Berk with the suns colors. Hiccup was walking around the streets, enjoying the yearly preparing three days before Snoggletog. He passed by Astrid, enjoying the sight of her beautiful smile as she decorated something they'd like to call a snoggletree, where green planks was attached to a huge tree stump to make it look like a giant tree. It was placed in the middle of Berk, in one of the town's squares. Usually they would decorate the tree by attaching shields in a line, well, a line for a Viking which is not quite straight in that point. But it was good enough.

"You ready, girl?" Astrid asked, holding a shield in her left and two other shields in her right as she looked up at her dragon. Stormfly opened her tail, showing off the sharp spikes. Astrid threw them up one by one, as Stormfly used her smallest spikes to pin them as if it was a nail.

He continued walking, thinking everything was right with the world as dragons helped Vikings on decorating. This time he was sure would be the best Snoggletog ever. "Hey dad, need any help?" Hiccup asked, standing right beside him as he looked in the same direction as his father. Gobber was helping a Viking with some decorations, and Gobber being Gobber, had to have it perfect.

"Everything's fine. We're almost done decorating anyway. Any plans today?" Stoick asked, turning to meet is sons eyes as he petted his Thunderdrum's head.

"Nah, just a small flight with Toothless later. We just came back from our morning flight so it should keep him enough entertained for a few hours," Hiccup chuckled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Are you going to help the village all day?"

"Not exactly, but me and Thornado here do have chiefing to do," Stoick said, referring to his dragon.

"Ah, so you've finally named him huh? Thornado… How are you boy?" Hiccup walked closer to Thornado, scratching his chin carefully not to make it collapse in delight. Thornado purred in happiness, giving in to the boys touch.

"It's the only thing he responds to. Besides he has the same strength as Thor himself, or in my opinion. Don't'cha boy?" Thornado roared in reply, showing off his sharp teeth.

"Okay dad. Gotta go, come on bud. I'll be back later!" Hiccup shouted as the duo set off to the sky, searching the ground for any familiar teenagers. After a while of searching he went to the great hall to get some food, and to his surprise, his friends were there. They sat in their usual spots, eating either fish or chicken legs. Hiccup went over to get his plate of fish before walking over to their table. "Hey guys."

"Hey Hiccup," Astrid said, smiling as she took another bite of her leg.

"Hey," Fishlegs said, looking up from the book of dragons with a smile. The twins were too busy fighting over who took the other's chicken leg, and Snotlout sat and admired himself in a mirror, also not paying attention to Hiccups arrival.

"We really should update that book," Hiccup said, gesturing to the Book of Dragons in Fishlegs hands. He looked at the old book as he noticed the old pages and front cover covered in layers of dust.

"Already ahead of you," Fishlegs replied, showing him his charcoal without taking his eyes off the pages. He was writing down new things he had learned from Hiccup and the dragons on Berk, giving each one of them one or two pages for their information. "There's only one problem, I can't draw," Fishlegs said, lowering his head in disappointment.

"Here, let me help," Hiccup said, taking the charcoal pen out of his hands along with the book. He sat down beside Fishlegs, laying down the book of dragons as Fishlegs pointed to where it should be. His task was to draw a monstrous nightmare, and already he could see some of the charcoal remains in the book. Probably made by Fishlegs.

"Alright," He muttered, scanning the great hall for any dragons but to his surprise there were no nightmares. He frowned for a few seconds before he got an idea. "Hold on," Before Fishlegs could question him, Hiccup was already out of the hall, looking for a dragon.

It didn't take too long before he came back with Hookfang and led him to their table, letting him rest only a few feet away. "Perfect," He silently cheered, sitting back down before he continued drawing. Fishlegs watched over his shoulder in awe, and at the same time jealousy for not being able to draw like that. But he was jealous in a good way, if that was even possible. Soon Astrid joined them, her watching over his other shoulder, fascinated.

"There you go 'legs," Hiccup said, making them jump back in surprise as he gave him the book back.

"Thanks Hiccup. I would've done it myself if only I knew how. Let's place this where it belongs for now," Fishlegs said, walking over to a door by the opposite end of the front door to the Great Hall, and opened it. In there was the towns library, and in the middle of the room, a wooden table was placed and had a golden nametag that said 'The Buk o Daguns'. After all, Vikings aren't known for their writing. "Someone should really fix that name tag," Fishlegs chuckled as he put the book down in the right place before heading back to the others.

"So Astrid, I was wondering if you would go with me to the yearly Snoggletog-," Snotlout said, flexing his muscles but got cut off by Astrid.

"Sorry Snotlout, I'm taken," She smirked, crossing her arms. Hiccup chuckled at this, enjoying the priceless face on Snotlout.

"What?! By who?" Snotlout practically yelled in both anger and shock. This time Hiccup decided to step in.

"That would be me," He smirked, throwing the last of his fish to Toothless who ate it happily. When he looked back up, everyone was staring at him in pure shock, well, not Astrid. She tried to hold her laughter's in as she tried to wave a hand in front of Snotlout, but failed at getting his attention. She didn't laugh because of Hiccup, but she laughed at their expressions, mostly Snotlout. Hiccup couldn't contain the laughter in anymore and burst laughing along with Astrid, clutching their stomach as they barely kept themselves on the benches.

"What's so funny?" Fishlegs asked, looking back and forth at the two laughing Vikings.

"Y-you s-should've se-seen your f-faces!" Astrid said, laughing so hard she could barely speak. "But seriously, it's true," She confirmed once her laughter faded away, standing up from the bench heading for the front doors to the Great Hall. On her way she ran a hand through Hiccups hair, messing it up.

"Hey!" He yelled playfully, turning around to see her smirk just before the doors shut behind her. "Well, I'm out. See you later guys!" Hiccup said, walking to the exit along with Toothless by his side. Once they were both outside, he mounted Toothless and took a few laps around the island, discovering new places in the highest mountains and once he even took some time to greet Gothi in her hut. On their last lap, he passed by Mildew's place, hearing and seeing him shout out to no one in particular. The duo landed a few feet in front of him and his sheep, Fungus.

"Ehm… are you…two… alright? You kind of shouted to the sky," Hiccup said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

"These pesky dragons ruin everything! Look what they did to me cabbage field!" Mildew shouted again, pointing his stick with dragon teeth on the field behind him. Hiccup turned around, speechless when he saw what was in front of him. The cabbages that were supposed to be some of their supplies for the winter were torn to pieces and spread all around the field, almost looking like grass. He turned back around to face Mildew.

"See what I mean?!" He yelled in Hiccups face, spitting out saliva at the same time. Hiccup opened his eyes again, brushing his hand in his face in attempt to get the old man's saliva out of his face. One would have thought he'd gotten used to having it in his face, but that was mostly just Toothless's saliva, anyone else's was still more disgusting than ever.

"Okay, I'll help you build it up when the season for it comes, don't worry," Hiccup assured him, then flew off, leaving Mildew complaining about his suggestion and words 'don't worry'. They decided to land in front of his house and feed Toothless. Just as they landed, Toothless started roaring violently.

"Toothless! What's happening bud? You okay?" Hiccup tried to calm him down, approaching him slowly but he growled back. For a few seconds, slits made round pupils, and then he started roaring again. Only this time, every dragon on Berk did it with him.

The Vikings, who had watched the boy and his dragon from the bottom of the hill, turned to their own dragons as they started roaring together with the Night Fury. Every Viking tried to calm them down, but they failed miserably. Looking up, dragons from far south of Berk were flying north. Hiccup looked back at Toothless, meeting his slits once again. He had to admit he was frightened, but how frightened could you really be when it was your best friend?

Suddenly, all the dragons flew up in the air, a couple of feet out of their riders reach. Toothless kept his position for a few more seconds before he roared once again, making Hiccup jump back a little. Behind him, he could hear his friends shouting to their dragons, in hope to get them back on the ground, but all that mattered was him and his companion. He had no idea what would happen next, if the dragon he assumed as his best friend would attack him, and it was a possibility due to the Night Fury's expression and the space between its eyebrows narrowing due to the angry look.

Hiccup snapped out of his trance when he heard the shout's behind him get louder, but what caught his attention was the roars that got louder and louder as if approaching him from behind. Turning around, he saw two monstrous nightmares flying in top speed towards him. The two dragons stretch their talons, getting ready to take a grip of something. Just in time, he jumped to the side, falling with back down in the snow. He watched as the two large dragons carried Toothless away and flew high up in the sky to fly along the other dragons from south.

Only minutes later, the dragons were flying by the cover of the clouds, further away from Berk as they left every single Viking in confusion and sadness. What they had thought to be the best Snoggletog in years, turned out to be one of the worst. And as the yak horn blew three times, signaling an attack, this year's Snoggletog just turned darker and darker as the enemies were approaching the Island of Berk.


	55. Chapter 55

Hiccup laid in the snow, half way covered up his feet. He could barely make out the sounds of confused and depressed Vikings from the village below the cliff his house stayed on. All he could do was look in the air, hoping the dragons would come back as if it were all just a sick joke to prove how much the dragons meant for the village. Neither had he heard the horn blow nor the panicking voices approaching him, calling his name. A hand took a grip at his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. Turning around, he saw Astrid standing there, but what caught his eye were the Vikings running towards him.

"Where did our dragons go?!" They all asked him all at once. Obviously not caring about the horn blowing several times in a row. The Vikings crowded around him, asking him questions of dragons as he sat in the freezing snow, looking up at the brawny Vikings yelling in his face. It almost felt like a flashback for him. A flashback, back in the days when he was practically a nobody. One time after working with Gobber, he headed home to get some rest. Unfortunately, on his way back, he walked past Snotlout and the others, trying to avoid their insults as he passed by. But that only made it worse. They had crowded around him, Snotlout and the twins with some other Vikings passing by, looking down at the smaller body of his while telling things he already had heard so many times. The word runt.

Thankfully, Hiccup sighed in relief, finding himself breathing in a relaxed form as he heard his father's voice yell from the top of the Great Hall, calling every Viking for a meeting. He lay there until everyone was gone from his sight, and ran towards a cliff to look over the horizon. The question that replayed over and over again in his head was; why weren't the enemies hiding their fleet? He took out his spyglass, not even bothering to ask himself why he had it with him, and looked in the direction of the approaching fleet. His eyes inspected the crest, and somehow he couldn't recognize it properly, but a familiar face showed up in his vision, making his eyes widen in pure shock and disbelief.

* * *

Berkian's were talking and talking, almost driving their chief mad by their questions. He had enough to worry about, now that the dragons had left for an unknown reason, making them vulnerable and enemies spotted on the horizon, also unknown. "Quiet down!" Stoick bawled, feeling a headache grow.

"What are we going to do?!"

"Why did the dragons leave?!"

"Snoggletog is ruined," Vikings yelled, all in each other's mouths, trying to be heard.

"Snoggletog is not ruined! The dragons may have left, and war may lie upon us, but we're Vikings! There's nothing we can't do! We'll win this fight even if that means dragons or no dragons. Now who's with me?!" Stoick announced, getting tons of agreements and cheers in response, telling him they're all in.

"What's the plan?" Hoark asked from the crowd, speaking up for the villagers.

"Find out who's attacking, hide in the woods and take them by surprise. Women and children will be sent to the safest place on the island until everything is over," The men cleared the hall to prepare the defenses and weapons and the women and children stayed behind. Out in the crowd he got a respond from the grumpiest Viking on Berk, shocking both Gobber and Stoick to their eyes were sure to fall out.

"Hide them in my cabbage field, they'll be safe there," Mildew said as Stoick passed by him with Gobber shortly behind.

"I don't have time for this Mildew!" Stoick roared angrily at him, making his way to the doors.

"Believe me! No one will even guess they're there!" Mildew pleaded, hoping his chief would accept his offer. Stoick hesitated before approving on his suggestion and commanding the women and children to get supplies and leave for Mildews place. All he needed now was to find Hiccup.

* * *

Hiccup climbed down the cliff, hoping to find his father among the crowd of Vikings leaving the newly announced meeting. He ran towards the steps to the Great Hall, looking around in hope to see his father's face.

"Hiccup!" He heard his father yell. Looking around, he found his father standing at the top of the stairs. On instinct, he ran up the stone steps, meeting his father half way up. "Where did the dragons go?!" Stoick asked, looking almost a bit too much shocked and worried for Hiccups liking.

"I-I don't know!" Hiccup stuttered in response.

"It doesn't matter right now. You get your friends to Mildews cabbage field and stay out of sight until this is all over. Right now we need to find out who we're up against," Stoick was about to walk off but Hiccup stopped him.

"Dad! I know who we're up against, and they're getting closer!" Hiccup practically yelled over the loud voices around him, panicking as he thought of what may happen next and what their enemies may be looking for on Berk.

"Then who is it?!" Stoick took a grip of his shoulders, expecting an answer.

"I-It's…Alvin and the outcasts," A few villagers had stopped to listen, and after hearing the name of Alvin, everything went deadly silent. Stoick's eyes widened in shock, but shortly after turned to pure hatred. For a moment, he looked out at the horizon to see the ships were with the statues, closing in faster than they had expected.

"EVERYONE, TO THE WOODS!" Stoick yelled, commanding everyone to take cover. He turned back to his son, seeing the somehow scared look getting hidden behind a brave one. "Get your friends, I'll see you later," He embraced his son in a tight hug, hoping it wouldn't be their last one. They let go and ran away to get the people of Berk to safety.

It was still daylight on Berk. Also making it harder for the Berkian's to take cover. They would have to take them by surprise once the sun settled down and the moon showed up. Hiccup ran towards the docs to see the outcasts only a few feet away from the docks. By the looks of it, the outcasts would be invading Berk in only a few minutes.

He ran back up to the village searching every corner and every house that belonged to his friends in hope to find them, but it was all empty. The town seemed like a ghost time just without the smokes and midnight contrast in the background. Simply, you could just call it a desert.

The only thing he could hope was that they were already at Mildew's place hiding from the outcasts. He hesitated, wanting to search a little more, but then ran as fast as his peg leg would help him run towards Mildew's place.


	56. Chapter 56

Stoick led the warriors to several places where the sun didn't shine, but also close to the paths in the woods. They needed to stay close to the village to make sure everything would be alright. Gobber had taken some of Hiccup's spyglasses to give them to each group so they could keep an eye on the women and children. Some villagers were sent to the beaches to look for more ships and the others were sent to scout from the cliffs close to the mountains or take cover until night time.

* * *

Alvin was at the docks, talking with Savage and his men to make sure they understood the plan. One of his men had been picked out to be a part of the main task of the plan. The solider was just as high and beefy as Alvin himself, and all he needed now was the armor. Alvin's blacksmith's came with the armor having detailed it perfectly along with his helmet and the mask crafted as Alvin's face.

"Find Stoick and keep him and his men distracted, I'll take care of our little dragon conqueror," Alvin ordered his 'twin' who nodded in surprise. He knew the plan would work out perfectly and it would also keep Stoick away from his boy. The Berkian's wouldn't have time to figure out who was who before the boy was in his hands.

* * *

Hiccup ran faster than he ever had thought he could as he noticed the outcasts make their way towards his house. He went away from his hiding spot around the corner and walked properly to catch his breath from the unexpected workout. Just as he rounded the corner he bumped into someone, making them both fall deep into the snow beneath their feet. Looking up, he noticed who it was. The person took out a hand to help him up after standing up herself.

"We've been so worried! We thought the outcasts had gotten to you!" Astrid yelled, pushing him up roughly. Only a second later she punched his shoulder, making him lose his balance but recover shortly after.

"What was that for?!" Hiccup shouted back at her, not harshly, rubbing his sore spot.

"That's for scaring me! Now come on, we need to take cover before they find out we're hiding up here," She said, dragging his arm for a few steps before he walked by himself. As they arrived at the top of the path, Hiccup looked over the sight as he couldn't help but smile. There were children and women, injured warriors and old people settled down to take cover as they waited for everything to be over. Children were playing around in the snow, women sewing clothes and men talking in whispers, obviously afraid of getting heard by either their wives or the invaders.

It almost seemed to be a normal Snoggletog, but as always, something had to ruin the moment. At this moment it was the outcasts invading Berk at such time. Astrid led him towards his friends who were sitting at the end of the cliff, scouting for any too-close-for-their-liking outcasts. They lay down on their stomachs, Hiccup taking out his spyglass to scout with them.

* * *

Mildew sat on the side of his bed, hearing faint laughter's and children playing just outside his hut. He took a little peak through his door, seeing Hiccup with his friends by the cliffs scouting. The plan was going perfect.

All he had to do now was find a way to get to the boy and that was fast. His time was soon running out, and he knew that Alvin was just acting for now. He held his dagger in his hands, running his fingers along the blade to examine the weapon in his hands. He gave one last devilish smile before he stood up, covering the dagger beneath his shirt, and stepped towards the door.

* * *

"Looks like Alvin are heading for the woods. Let's hope they don't find the others," Hiccup removed the spyglass from his eye as he looked over at his friends. He had watched closely as Alvin and his men headed for the woods in hope to find what they were looking for. He was just glad he was up there instead of down there with him.

"Yeah, but we should watch our backs. Who knows what he's planning and why he's here," Astrid replied, looking deeply in his emerald green eyes.

"Isn't it obvious? He's here for Hiccup, duh!" Ruff sassed, gesturing to Hiccup with her spyglass.

"I don't think so. I mean, how would he know Hiccup is alive? Something's not right," Fishlegs sat up, scratching his chin in deep thoughts.

"Well I really don't want to lay here all night, chicken legs anyone?" Snotlout asked, holding up a plate of cold chicken. The others looked at it in disgust, not wanting it unless it was warm. But if they had heated it up by making a campfire, their cover would be blown. Snotlout on the other hand, ate it as if there was no tomorrow. And who knew? Maybe there wasn't.

* * *

Mildew took a hand on his back to see if the dagger was covered enough but also reachable. He took a deep breath before he walked towards Hiccup and his friends, hearing a bit of their conversation.

"We should take shifts. Snotlout, you've got first watch," Hiccup commanded them as he stood up, brushing some dirt off his clothes. He took a few steps away from the others, muttering something under his breath as he walked over to one of the elders in hope of getting a blanket, "Where are you Toothless?"

Mildew changed his direction, following the boy close behind as he pulled out his dagger from his belt. In a second, the tip of the dagger was barely touching Hiccup's slender neck. "Not here to help you, that's for sure," He whispered in his ear, pulling him closer. Hiccup let out a yelp of surprise by the force pulling him backwards and the sharp edges of the blade pressed against his throat.


	57. Chapter 57

Astrid stood up to a little after Hiccup, brushing the bangs away from her eye, but only to have them back in place a second later. She turned around, taking a deep breath to calm her nausea after seeing Snotlout eat the cold chicken leg and have it eaten in a few seconds later. As she looked up, she had little time to react as she saw Mildew pull out a knife and press it against Hiccup's throat.

"Hiccup!" She shirked, searching for her axe. She bent down to get it, but Mildew stopped her.

"Drop your weapons or the boy dies," All the attention was brought to Mildew, children stopped playing and Vikings stopped talking. Their eyes were all drawn towards the traitor.

"What are you doing?!" Hiccup struggled to break free from his grasp, but regretted as his throat almost sliced itself on the blade, only leaving a little unnoticeable scratch on his throat. The sound of metal hitting dirt was heard all around the two, confirming Mildew he was safe for now.

"You four!" Mildew shouted, pointing to some elders and younger ones who jumped back in surprise. "Gather some wood and lit it," He commanded them, pressing the knife harder against Hiccup's throat whose pulse quickened at the cool touch. The elders and younger ones went to get the wood they had brought with them for carving, since that was someone's hobbies, and placed it beside Mildew.

One of the elders hesitated, knowing they would either have the boy killed or blow their cover, but fired it up since no one wanted their hero gone forever and their chief depressed over their decisions. Everyone knew that would happen no matter what decision they had to make. Stoick would be broken to know that the outcasts had his only son, but some of them thought he would be relieved that he was in Valhalla instead of back on the hostile island he had once spend his last days on.

* * *

The fire was burning more and more at the top of the mountain. Alvin could barely make out the smoke as night time came and the fire grew brighter. The devilish smile on his face grew as he and some of his men made their way to a path Mildew had instructed him for. It was the safest one for him at the moment without being seen by the Berkians who were scouting every corner they could. They had made it safely to the jungle from the docks by using one of the hidden tunnels going beneath Berk. Not many knew of them and therefore they were in no use to the people of Berk. The ones who knew where they led never mentioned about them unless they had to because no one had walked those caves in ages and no one knows what's down there.

The outcasts made their way up the side of the mountain, on the opposite side of the normal path, and Alvin could already smell the fire and fear of the people hiding there. They were getting closer.

* * *

The guards who were sent to the woods had no idea they were getting watched by the Berkians and the chief himself. Just as Stoick was about to signal his men to take them down, he noticed Alvin. His temper rose and before he could even let the signal out, he made his way up behind Alvin and pinned him to the ground. The guards surrounding them were about to attack the chief but was surprised by the sudden 'army' of Berkians coming out of nowhere.

Stoick turned Alvin around so he would face him. "What are you doing here Alvin?!" He yelled, holding him only inches away from his face, but Alvin just laughed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Stoick boomed, getting sick of the sly smile on his face. His hands formed into fists, soon connecting his hard fist to Alvin's jawline, but his smile didn't disappear.

Suddenly, Alvin kicked Stoick in his guts, making him jump back in surprise but soon steadied himself and launched one more times. Stoick's fists hit his jaw several times along with a few kicks in between the punches, but something was wrong. Usually, Alvin would talk during his fights, Stoick knew that much after living with him for so long, and he would always fight back. Anytime Alvin had chance to fight, he would, and many times had he come up with silly excuses to do just that.

Stoick's anger began to take over him, sending him a deep flashback into his very own mind, back to the last time he lost his control. It was the time he almost killed his own son, right in front of the whole village. When he saw what he was doing, he stopped punching Alvin's face, and let him fall against the tree he had recently pinned him to. That was when he noticed something on Alvin's face. His eyes narrowed as he kneeled down to Alvin's level. He reached out his hand, and just as his hand touched Alvin's face, he knew it was all fake. He had been tricked.

"Say goodbye to yer boy, Stoick," The man spat, taking off the mask to reveal his real face that was now swollen up in several spots. Stoick's eyes widen as he stood up slowly. Behind him he heard someone shouting his name. Turning around, he saw Gobber panicking.

"Stoick! Phlegma just reported from Thor's beach… Something's happening at Mildew's!" Gobber said, placing his hand on his bent knees as he tried to get the air back in his lungs. Stoick's eyes widened even more, almost looking as if his eyes would pop out of his head. He ran to one of the small cliffs in the area after grabbing Gobber's spyglass, and looked up towards the hiding spot he had sent the rest of the village. He looked up to see a campfire lit and someone standing beside it. He narrowed his eyes even more and at the sight he almost lost the grip of the spyglass. There stood Mildew, holding a dagger to his son's neck and as he thought it couldn't get worse, he saw Alvin and his men at the side of the mountain, only a couple of feet away from his son.

"Mildew…," Stoick muttered, anger growing inside him instead of fear for his son. "I swear to Thor when I get that old man-," Gobber cut of his sudden rage.

"Stoick! We have to get up there if you want to get Hiccup back! We have to go now!" He yelled, gesturing to the rest of Berk's people who were waiting for an order. The outcasts they had ambushed were knocked out in the snow below their feet, looking deadly pale.

Stoick took control over his anger, turning away from the mountain to look at his people.

"We have to get my son back! Hoark, take your team to the docks and make sure they don't get there, Phlegma take your group to the village and get ready to ambush that filthy animal. I'll do the pleasure of taking down Alvin and Berk's traitor."


	58. Chapter 58

Alvin rounded the last corner, surprising all the women and men that had been hiding from him and his men. Children hid behind their parents, horrified to see the man they've all heard about. As he got closer to his target, he let out a manically laugh.

"Looks like our plan worked, aye Mildew?" Alvin laughed, taking a harsh grip of Hiccup's arm as he patted Mildews back.

"Aye, Alvin. What do you say we take this little runt back to training?" Mildew asked, giving the guards a signal behind him. One of the guards stepped forward, holding chains in his hands. Hiccup tries to get loose from Alvin's grip but gets a smack to his face. The guard roughly pulls the chains around his wrists as neck, pulling once to check if they were strapped properly. The pull made Hiccup choke on his breath, coughing a few times before the air went back in his lungs.

"I'm not a dragon, you know," Hiccup complained, trying to pull the chains away from his neck which only made the guard holding the chains, tighten it.

"But you know how to train one," Alvin smirked, walking towards the path they came from. Surprisingly, the boy wasn't done talking.

"Yeah, well that doesn't certainly mean I will. Besides, how will you ever manage to train a dragon when you're such an evil person to both men and dragons? There's no way a dragon will let you- auch!" Alvin took the bone out of Savage's hands, hitting Hiccup hard in his stomach to shut him up.

He pulled his face closer to his and said, "I will train a dragon because you will show me," He spat, pushing him off his feet. "Could someone please do something with him," He sighed, walking forward. Behind him he could hear the sounds of his dragon trainer struggling to get away. Taking a look back to see if his men accomplished his request, he found the boy being knocked out and shoved into a sack.

* * *

Astrid gripped her axe tightly after seeing Hiccup get dragged down the mountain side. She was about to go after them when a hand took a hard grip on her shoulder, stopping her dead in her own tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?" She turned around to find Fishlegs with a worried look.

"I'm going to get Hiccup back," She argued, running forward but got stopped again. She turned around with an angry face. "What?!" She hissed, holding her axe high.

"We need a plan before we can do anything," Snotlout told her, but she refused to listen. The thought of Hiccup being in the hands of their enemy was horrible.

"We don't have time for that! We have to get him back. Now!" She said, this time managing to run away. Her friends had no choice but to follow her.

They ran down the stony path, keeping their distance away from the outcasts, but staying close enough to keep an eye on them. As they hid behind a corner, they had to hold Astrid back from attacking the outcasts that newly knocked their friend out and put in a sack. When Alvin and his men kept moving, they followed slowly behind to make sure they wouldn't be heard or seen. If they did, everything would be wasted.

Even if they had no plan, they needed to get him back. Their plan would have to be replaced with improvising. Astrid looked at the village, noticing how close they were to the village. They would have to do something soon. Without even thinking twice, she motioned for them to follow as they got closer. She picked out a guard for each of her friends and signaled for them to go. As they got closer, a war cry was heard, but the outcasts didn't turn around. Instead they stopped and drew their swords, and before anyone could do anything else, the outcasts were ambushed by Stoick and his men. The teens let out their Viking cry as the outcasts turned around to run back. In only a few seconds, the two tribes were attacking each other. With the outcasts protecting the keeper of their hostage, and the Berkians trying to get the sack.

Astrid charged at the man holding the sack, placing her axe by his throat to strangle him until he let go. The man dropped the bag in attempt to get the axe away from his throat. She pressed the axe harder this time, and the man dropped unconscious on the ground. Looking around, she noticed everyone were too busy fighting each other; she grabbed the bag and started to run out of the crowd and towards the village. Behind her she could hear shouts from a way to familiar, dark enemy.

"Get the girl! She's taken our dragon conqueror!" The voice yelled.

Astrid looked back to see Alvin push Stoick away from him and run towards her along with some of his men following. She could see Mildew trying to get up, but some of the Berkians pushed him down and lead him away. Just before she turned back to look where she was running, she saw her friends and the chief with some soldiers running after them and she couldn't help but smile. By the looks of it, they were winning this little war.

As she ran through the plaza, heading for the woods, she could see Berkians fighting outcasts by every corner. Luckily, they hadn't noticed her holding what they were on Berk for, so she got a free pass through the town to the woods.

Stoick held his axe, stopping for a second as he aimed for Alvin's shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he took his axe backwards and threw it forward, hitting his shoulder perfectly. He could hear Alvin's cry for the pain, but what surprised him was Alvin's determination for his son. He stood in shock, seeing Alvin stand up and head once again for the woods to get Astrid and his son. Without hesitation, he ran after him once again, chasing him to the woods where he could see a little of Astrid's braid before she was out of sight.

Alvin held his aching shoulder, not even bothering to pull out the axe causing most of the pain. The adrenaline rushing in his body made him seem invincible even though he was vulnerable. He ran after the girl holding his only way to success of conquering the world, but lost her a few steps in to the woods. Sighing in frustration, he pulled out the axe and threw it angrily at one of the trees beside him. He didn't have plans to leave the island without his dragon trainer which made him run deeper in to the woods in hope to find the girl.

Suddenly, Alvin bumped into someone, sending them both to the ground. Groaning, he held his shoulder as the pain got worse, and then opened his eyes. There she was. The one person who had the courage to steal his secret-weapon-in-the-future. He stood up in an instant, grabbing her golden braid harshly, making her yelp in pain and drop the bag to the ground. His eyes landed on the sack, pushing the girl to the ground before he grabbed the sack and ran towards the docks, ignoring the desperate cries from the girl who followed him. Alvin pulled out his sword from his belt, holding it with his injured arm closely to the sack. Just as he noticed the village getting closer, he heard the familiar voice of his old childhood friend.

"Drop that sack, and leave Berk now!" Stoick boomed, standing in a battle position.

"Drop yer weapon, Stoick," Alvin spat, placing the sword closer to the sack. "Or get yer boy's blood on yer dirty hands."

Stoick stood in the same position, having a mental battle with himself, but dropped his weapon to the ground as he noticed the sword making contact with the fabric of the sack. He had no choice but to watch the maniac of a man back away slowly with his son as a hostage. Each step Alvin took backwards made Stoick take a step forward. He refused to have Alvin out of sight as long as his son was captured right in front of him. Alvin walked faster through the town never leaving eye contact with the chief of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe.

"Call off yer men, Stoick or the boy dies right here, right now," Alvin smirked, taking the sword dangerously close to the sack. Stoick sighed in defeat.

"Stand down!" He yelled, looking angrily at Alvin. His men took a step away from the outcasts, setting them free from their grasps. They looked at their chief questioningly who just stood there. Stoick had no plan on what to do next. He was helpless. He needed his one inspiration to keep fighting. He needed Hiccup to be by his side.

Alvin turned away from the chief, walking down to the docks and loaded their ships with Victory. The Hairy Hooligan Tribe watched from behind the houses and by the docks as the outcasts made their way to sea. The Outcasts…had won.


	59. Chapter 59

Stoick's feet collapsed beneath him. He held his sword for support, burying it down in front of him by his weight. He couldn't believe his son was kidnapped, again. It was Snoggletog. The yearly holiday for the Vikings where everyone would be happy, and be dancing or singing in the Great Hall. Now it was all just a huge disaster. The dragons had gone off to Thor knows where and the Outcasts had gotten his son to their ship and were sailing towards their island as the Berkians were silent for their Hero. For the one person who had brought peace between mankind and the dragons. They're only way of repaying him was to keep him safe from harm, and they had failed.

Astrid stepped out of the woods, supporting her friend's weight on her body. She walked forward in hope to find the chief, but what made her surprised was the sadness in the Berkians eyes. It worked, she said to herself with a smile growing on her lips. No one had seemed to notice them as they passed through town in hope to find Stoick. She stopped for a few seconds, looking at her friend who had his arms in a weird angle since the chains were tight around his wrists and neck and needed something hard to cut through it. She could see on the right side of his eyebrow he had a red mark that was a little swollen up, but she shrugged it off for now.

There were a few Vikings close to the path from the woods they had just appeared from, but they hadn't noticed them. She walked up to them, gently tapping one of the men's shoulders. The man turned around with his head low, but when his eyes met hers and the injured person on her right side, his eyes widen in shock.

"Have you seen the chief?" She asked, hoping for an answer. The man stood there speechless, but soon pointed in the direction through the crowd. She nodded thankfully and walked away from them. The man she had talked to, whispered to the ones beside him to tell the news while pointing to the two teens.

The rumors moved through the crowd from Viking to Viking, making almost everyone turn their attention to the teens. As Astrid came towards the crowd, everyone stared at her but moved away to make room. One could've thought it was some kind of wedding, where the bride was making her way towards her soon-to-be-husband by walking slowly and elegant down the aisle with her father escorting her towards him and the audience would be standing up from their chairs to show respect for the bride, either having their mouths wide open in jealousy or surprise to see someone that beautiful. But this time, all the reasons for staring at her, or you could say them, was different.

The last row of people moved away from the oath they were making for the two of them, and she could already see her chief. Her chief whom was on his knees, begging for a miracle that his son would come back to him. Also lightly sobbing in disappointment in himself for having trusted someone as Mildew to help the village. If he only had a clearer mind at the moment he made the decision, none of this would've happened. Or at least, that was what he thought.

There was a hand tapping Stoick's shoulder. He took a deep breath, thinking it was one of the villagers asking of what to do, and stood up shakenly.

Astrid straightened up, pulling her friend up a little as she felt his hand loosen around her shoulder. She watched as the chief in front of her stood up, hearing the little sigh escape her chief's lips. She kneeled down a little, allowing her friend's hand to go away from her shoulder and back down to his sides. Stoick's eyes were closed for a few seconds as he turned around to face them, and she could've sworn she saw a tear escape his eye. Then they finally opened, looking down at the two of them.

"Hiccup?" His voice cracked, eyes widening in surprise.

"H-Hey, dad," Hiccup stuttered, giving him a small smile. Stoick knelt down, pulling him in for a bone crushing hug. Hiccup tried to hug back but was incapable of doing so because of the chains only tightening around his throat.

"Ho…How?" Stoick asked in disbelief, letting another tear fall as he buried his head in the crook of Hiccup's neck.

"You're going to have to ask Astrid about that," Hiccup chuckled, feeling his father pull away from. Stoick looked over at Astrid who was standing there with a smile on her face, happy that she had brought the two together again and accomplished her own task.

"I brought him to a cave where my parents used to take me during the raids…"

 _Astrid could hear Alvin cry out in pain but didn't look back to see if he was still chasing her. Instead she ran and ran, getting more and more exhausted as she tried to get to the place she was determined to find. She kept running and getting more familiar by every step she took. Rounding a corner, she found the cave she used to stay in with her parents whenever they needed to hide from the dragons. That was, of course, when they were still alive. Hurriedly, she untied the rope around the sack and carefully opened it to see Hiccup knocked out. She gently carried him out of the sack and placed him gently against the wall. Looking around, she found the spot where her parents used to hide some supplies like woods and stones to keep the warm whenever the raids kept going for hours. She opened the empty sack and filled it with some logs and a few stones, and then tied the sack again and stood up to run out. Before she ran out, she looked back to Hiccup but could barely see him due to the darkness._

 _"_ _I'll be back for you," She whispered and ran away._

"When I bumped into Alvin, he grabbed the sack, thinking it was Hiccup but actually it was just some wood and rocks. I watched him run away and followed him towards the village, but then you came and I hid behind a tree hoping everything would go as planned. When I saw Alvin make his way to the docks I meant to tell you then but I figured you wouldn't believe me so I got Hiccup and now he's here," Astrid explained, looking a little away in shame.

"So you're responsible for tricking us?" Stoick asked shockingly but with a hint of anger in his eyes. Astrid looked up at him, feeling fear build inside her.

"I-I-m sorry sir, I didn't th-think it would work if you kne-," Stoick cut her off with his own laughter. Astrid looked up at him nervously and confused. Out of nowhere, he pulled her in for a hug.

"I can't believe it. Thank you, Astrid, for saving my son. For saving our holiday," He said gently, patting her back a few times before he pulled away and rose to speak to his people. Hiccup walked a little closer to her, nudging her gently to get his attention.

"Don't worry, he does that pretty often to me as well," They both chuckled and turned their attention to his father.

"Everyone! This year, I'm happy to announce two days in a row of celebration in the Great Hall! Today we will celebrate for Astrid Hofferson's rescue for my son! And tomorrow will be our annual holiday, Snoggletog. Everyone to the Great Hall! Let's get the party started," Stoick announced and everyone roared in cheers of the announcement. Looks like this Snoggletog would turn out better than they had expected after all.


	60. Chapter 60

The whole celebration went on for hours. Many people got drunk or had too much fun to even think about the dragons, but as next day came and they were sober, every memory of the dragons came back. Hiccup was walking with his friends through town, getting bored by the uneventful minutes that passed by every so often. Astrid walked a little in the front, trying to figure out a way to bury the sadness. Then she got an idea.

"Guys! I have an idea. Let's come up with a bunch of new holiday traditions! You know, to bury the sadness," She said happily, but the others groaned in response. Hiccup brought his hand up to his chin in a thinking modus. He looked at the ground, thinking of an idea to come up with that could be better than Astrid's, but he got nothing. Looking up, he saw Astrid giving them a death glare.

"That might be a good idea," He said, ignoring the others groans again.

"What is up with you guys today?" Astrid hissed at them.

"All your inventions are horrib-," Snotlout explained, but stopped as she gave her a harder death glare. "When I think of it, they're brilliant," He fake-cheered.

"Thought so," Astrid smirked. "Be right back guys!" She yelled, running away towards her house.

"See you guys later, gotta help Gobber," Hiccup excused himself from them. He wasn't really the person to be with them as long as it was only them and not Astrid too. To be honest, he felt a little less comfortable around them than with Astrid.

He walked through town to see Vikings struggling to hold their ground from the hard partying yesterday evening and night. He noticed silent Sven walking, or at least trying to, with his sheep through town. Sven walked sloppily, leaning on some sort of staff to steady himself. His eye lids were barely open. Right before he turned around a corner, passing by some other sleepy Vikings, his eyes closed and he leaned forward, falling in a drain. The drain struggled to hold its ground and eventually ending up with falling over.

"Ouch," Hiccup flinched at the sight, turning around but only to bump into someone, sending him to the ground. He rubbed his head a little before looking up to see his father.

"Oh, Hiccup! I was looking for ya," Stoick laughed, helping Hiccup stand up. "I need to talk to you."

"Well… what do you want to talk to me about?" Hiccup asked awkwardly.

"Let's talk in our house," Without even warning Hiccup, he dragged him a little in the arm towards their house. He let go a little after and opened the door for Hiccup as they arrived at the house. Hiccup walked in nervously, but feeling a little relaxed due to the mood of his father. Unfortunately, all that changed as his father turned around to face him, after closing the door, with a rather too serious face. "Sit," His father told him.

"Uhh, okay…" Hiccup said nervously, walking over to his chair by the table as his father sat down in his chair across from his. He rubbed his wrists a little beneath the table as he stared into his father's eyes. "So…" Hiccup spoke, breaking the whole awkward silence.

"Right…" Stoick coughed to adjust his voice. "I'm putting you in for chief training."

"What?!" Hiccup yelled, standing up in shock.

"You heard me," Stoick sighed, fearing the reaction. "You'll be leaving in three days."

"You can't just send me away like that! Why are you doing this to me dad? We were getting along pretty good after so many years and now you're just sending me away from you again? Out from your life? Is that what you want?!" Hiccup shouted, for once standing up for himself. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes. "If that's what you want then why did you rescue me from the outcasts huh?" His face was red with anger and Stoick tried to stop himself from bursting out on his son once again but couldn't.

"Don't you dare raise your voice on me!" He yelled, standing up from his chair as he stared at his now terrified son. Hiccup walked towards the door in hope to escape from his father's sight. "I'm trying to protect you son!" Hiccup stood still, showing he was listening. Stoick sat down, rubbing his temple to calm himself down. "Do you remember Camicazi?"

Hiccup turned around to face his father. His face getting its normal color back. A tear had escaped his eye, making his left cheek glisten from the fire's light. He nodded to his father's question.

"You will be staying on her island, at Bog-Burglars. She will be there with you to train both you and herself. Bertha and I thought it may be good if you two went training together. They will both teach you combat training and teach you different ways of doing chiefly duties. You will be helping them with their dragon problems in exchange," Stoick explained for him.

"At least I'll know someone then," Hiccup muttered, loud enough for Stoick to hear. Stoick smiled, happy that there was a little progress in convincing his son into this. Not that he had any choice anyways.

"I was thinking on letting you bring…your dragon…but now…," Stoick sighed, looking down. Hiccup sat down in his chair again.

"Dad? Where did Toothless go?" Hiccup asked, looking up to his father in hope.

"I don't know son."

"I mean, it's been almost three days. I just thought Toothless would be back by now," He looked down at his hands, avoiding eye contact with his father. He didn't want his father to see how weak he was, so he managed to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Well, I'm sure the dragons are taking care of him," Stoick stood up, patting his son's back a little as he walked pass him to fire up the fire that was dying out.

"Yeah? I wish I can be that sure," Stoick sighed, turning back around to face his son. He kneeled down beside his chair, placing his hand on his shoulder."Listen... I know what it's like to miss someone you love this time of year. But what do we do, when they can't be here for the holiday? We celebrate them! And I imagine that is exactly what Toothless would want you to do. Right?"

"You're right," Hiccup smiled at him as his father pulled him in for a loving father and son hug. Stoick pulled away with a smile, looking at Hiccup's neck and wrist. They were still a little red and some parts purple from the chains he had yesterday.

"How are your wrists?" He asked worriedly, shifting from being a serious chief to a caring father.

"They're getting better. Still hurts a little but I'll manage," Hiccup rubbed his wrists a little but looked up to meet his father's eyes with a reassuring smile. Stoick stood up and walked over to his chair and pulled out a tray where there was a few bandages, a pair of scissors, healing herbs and some moisture. He took a bowl of moisture out and a roll of bandages along with the scissors and walked back over to Hiccup.

"How long will I be staying for chief training?" Hiccup asked, looking down at his wrists as Stoick applies the healing moisture to his sore wrists.

"For three years," Stoick sighed, looking up to his son's eyes before he looked back down to his wrists. Hiccup's eyes widened at the thought, but knew he wouldn't be able to change his father's mind anyway. He just nodded and watched his father wrap a tiny layer of bandages around his wrists.

"There you go," Stoick stood up, placing the leftovers of the equipment back in the tray and placed it behind his chair. He turned to the wall behind his chair and pulled down his hatchet. "If you need me I'll be in the Great Hall. A few Vikings had some accident's there if you didn't notice," Stoick made a disgusted face at the thought of what had happened, but shrugged it off and walked out the door with Hiccup following shortly after.

Hiccup walked down the hill to his house, deciding to go to the forge and sketch for himself. That way he would get some time to think. His head was low as he silently muttered to himself. "Three years huh," He chuckled a little at the thought of meeting his child hood friend across the sea. He and Camicazi were best buds every time their parents needed to discuss some chiefly matters. While Stoick was busy with Big-Boobied Bertha, he got to have fun with the chief's daughter. But with everything that had happened the past few years, they hadn't gotten the chance to meet up again and therefore became a little more distant.

He was deep in his memories of both Camicazi and him that he didn't notice where he was going. As he snapped out of his thoughts, he saw Astrid back with a mug and three goblets on an old shield. Just by looking at them, he thought back to his conversation with his father. How am I going to tell them? He asked himself, sighing as he looked down at the snow below his feet. The last thing he would do was ruin their happiness on Snoggletog, but thinking twice and asking himself; would they actually miss me? Looking back up at them, he sighed before turning around to head to the forge.

"Hiccup!" He heard someone call for him. He turned around to see Astrid approaching with the mug on the shield. "I've been looking all over for you! Here!" She handed him a goblet of the drink with a smile.

"Thank you, milady," Astrid giggled, watching him raise the goblet to his lips. He opened his eyes to look at Astrid, but noticed someone behind her. It was Snotlout and the twins. The twins were sort of cheering him on to drink while Snotlout just violently shook his head looking almost sick. He took a look at Astrid again, seeing the excitement in her eyes. That was when he knew he had no choice but to down it. And so he did.

Just as the taste of the drink made contact with his tongue, he almost choked it back up. It was awful. He looked over at Astrid with a sick look, almost saying do-I-have-to-drink-this-up. But he knew he had no other choice but to do so. As said, he didn't want to ruin someone's happiness on Snoggletog and the least person he wanted to leave disappointed and crushed, was Astrid. The one of the many Vikings that could break his bones by one punch. Finally he had finished drinking up whatever it was, feeling it make its way up his throat again, but he swallowed it back down. He put the goblet back on the shield shakenly. "What was that?" He asked, trying to sound interested though his belly protested against the drink by only mentioning it.

"I call it yaknog! It's the newest Snoggletog tradition here on Berk," She squealed, smiling from ear to ear. Hiccup tried to smile, but couldn't as the drink tried to escape his stomach once again. Now he could only guess that Snotlout had been another victim of her drink. "So, are you ready for tonight?" She asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, can't wait," Hiccup said, almost sounding convincing. He really was excited about the dance and finally having the opportunity to dance with her, but there were so many thoughts in his head at the moment that his mood didn't allow anything near happiness. Unfortunately, Astrid noticed.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked, her happiness fading into worriedness. Hiccup was about to answer to her question when the rest of their friends came over. They greeted them and stared back and forth in attempt to blend into their conversation. Hiccup sighed, looking down for a few seconds before he looked back up.

"Could you guys…meet me at the academy tomorrow after lunch?" He asked hopefully. They turned to look at him questioningly.

"Why? Something wrong?" Fishlegs asked worriedly. Hiccup gave him a small smile and a chuckle.

"I'll tell you tomorrow," With that, he walked off. The other's just shrugged and went back to what they were previously doing.

Hiccup entered the forge to find it empty. A smile stretched across his lips from the quietness. He loved spending some time in his own part of the forge whenever Gobber wasn't around to pound any metal that usually gave him a headache since he was thinking or concentrating mostly out of that section.

He went through the back door with his notebook and pen in hand, sitting down on the edge of the cliff as he looked out over the horizon, expecting any sign of dragons. The Berkians hadn't seen a single dragon in three days and were losing the hope, but Hiccup never would. He believes that the dragons had a reason to leave like they did and come back with an obvious reason to all the dragon disaster.

"Toothless… Where are you bud?" Hiccup whispered, looking up at the moon, it was still pretty early in the morning and the moon had decided to stay up a little longer just like every other Snoggletog. Whenever he looked at the moon, he felt…safe. As if someone was always watching over him but he couldn't put the finger on what or whom it may be. Eventually, he learned to leave the thought behind and enjoy the company he got.

"Oh no! Get back here!" A Viking yelled, running down a hill. Hiccup looked down beneath his feet to see a Viking dropping his staff and run after a…sheep on a sliding plank? Hiccup rubbed his eyes, unsure if he was actually seeing it or just hallucinating again. It was real. The sheep shrieked in surprise as it slid down a few stairs covered in snow and ice, landing on the ground shortly after being thrown in the air. Hiccup let out a small chuckle, somehow enjoying watching the sheep. It seemed fun.

Hiccup's eyes widened, a smile stretched from ear to ear. He had a job to do.


	61. Chapter 61

Vikings were making their way up they long stairs of stone to the Great Hall, ready for the party. Hiccup left his gifts for his friends down in the forge in his hut. He didn't have the strength to carry them up and down five times. Besides, where would he hide them from them anyway? The twins would've found them somewhere and Astrid would notice he was hiding something, which he sort of was.

He walked up the stairs to the Great Hall along with other Vikings, and greeted a Viking who held the door for him. Once inside, he scanned the whole room for his friends and soon found them eating by their table. He walked over to them quietly, not really feeling for celebrating Snoggletog this year either due to everything that has happened and were to happen in the future. Not to mention everything he would miss out on.

On his way, he grabbed a plate of chicken and a mug of water since he wasn't really a fan of mead. Mead was the drink for grown up Vikings and some teens that liked to get drunk and forget everything they did the next day. Hiccup on the other hand? He would prefer remembering everything in case it would be a memory he would remember for the rest of his life. This brings him to one upcoming memory. The dance with Fearless Astrid Hofferson, the girl of his dreams.

The thought of only dancing with her, made his palms sweaty and feel nervous around her presence. Before even reaching the table and greeting them, he could already feel his throat getting ready to stutter like Fishlegs trying to hide something. Even his mind was stuttering while he kept thinking of a way to greet them. Should I say Hi, H-hello- Stop stuttering you useless brain! Hiccup groaned in frustration, taking a deep breath as he kept walking. A few feet away he notice they were discussing something quietly, quiet enough for him not to hear it.

"H-Hey guys," Hiccup stuttered, mentally face palming himself. The teens eyes went wide, their conversation dying in an instant as they turned around to face him with their eyes still wide.

"Hey Hiccup, Hi…Hic, Hello…uhm," Astrid said awkwardly, leaning over the table like everyone else. Hiccup stared at them questioningly, awkwardly placing his plate down on the table and slowly sat down without breaking eye contact with her.

"Are you guys feeling alright?" He asked. They nodded in a unusual fast way. Hiccup looked over at Fishlegs knowing he would crack if only he held eye contact for a few straight seconds. He met his gaze with a curious look, ignoring Fishlegs hands that flew up to his mouth and his body shaking non-stop.

"Okay! We were hiding our-," Fishlegs was cut off by Snotlout punching him in the face, sending him to the floor in pain. Hiccup looked away from Fishlegs and up to Snotlout who was sitting at the table with a nervous smile. He looked down on the plate before him and stuffed some food in his mouth as an excuse for not explaining himself. Hiccup was about to ask when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around he found his father with Gobber and Spitelout.

"Do you mind if we borrow Hiccup for a few minutes?" Stoick asked, looking at the teens. Hiccup turned to look at them whit an approving look. The teens nodded weirdly at the chief who gave them a questioning look. "Okay then," He walked away with Hiccup who looked back at his friends scolding at Fishlegs for something. His father led them out of the Great Hall, away from the music and loud talking Vikings. Obviously needing some private place to talk.

"So… what did you want to talk to me about?" Hiccup asked nervously, keeping his hand at his sides. He could feel the cold winter wind trying to dry his sweaty hands but to no avail. Stoick cleared his throat and looked at Gobber who nodded.

"Snotlout will be under chief training too," Hiccup's eyes widened in shock. Did he really have to stay with him for three years, hearing him probably hit on Camicazi from already the first day they would arrive there?

"But," Stoick paused, having noticed Hiccup's uncomfortable expression. Hiccup looked at him in hope. "He will not be with you on the trip. Instead, Gobber and Spitelout will be teaching him here on Berk," Hiccup sighed in relief but a question popped up in his head.

"Then why can't I stay here too?" He asked curiously. Stoick sighed.

"The burglars are far more educated in combat skills and know far more techniques than anyone on Berk does, and since you will be Berk's future chief you will have most of the knowledge so that Snotlout won't be able to compare his combat skills with you. When you come back, you will be able to teach him what you've learned from Bertha, but that is up for you if you trust him enough with the information," Hiccup nodded understandingly.

"And you're telling me this… because?" Hiccup asked.

"Have you told your friend's about chief training yet?" Gobber asked.

"No. I planned on telling them tomorrow at the academy," He explained.

"Okay. Well, Snotlout doesn't know of this and if Spitelout tells him now he will only brag about it," Spitelout nodded at that statement. "That's why we need you to tell him while you're telling them that you will be leaving so that he doesn't start talking about it all the time," Hiccup nodded. There was an awkward silence.

"So… Did you need anything else, dad?" Hiccup asked, breaking the awkward silence. Stoick shook his head and watched Hiccup open the door.

"Wait!" Stoick shouted. Hiccup turned around, hands still on the door handle, curiously. "Happy Snoggletog, son," He said softly. Hiccup smiled, letting go of the door handle and walked over to his father who embraced him in a tight hug.

"Happy Snoggletog, dad," Hiccup smiled, letting a single tear fall. They pulled away and went back inside. Hiccup walked over to his friends table. He felt something wet on his right cheek, then remembered the tear. He quickly wiped it away and took a deep breath. It was the first time he actually heard his father say it to him. He was sad but at the same time happy. Happy that his father said it, but sad that he wouldn't be able to hear it from him and get a bone crushing hug as well for a few years.

He sat down by the table and started to eat, listening to their normal conversation. Well normal for Snotlout and the twins who were getting drunk on some mead they had stolen from a few already drunk Vikings. Astrid gently nudged his side, getting his attention.

"We have something we'd like to show you later," She smiled happily, taking a zip from her mug.

"Oh? I have something I need to show you guys too," He smiled back, looking into her beautiful blue eyes. She nodded and looked over at Snotlout.

"Come on! One more, one more, one more," The twins cheered, punching the table in rhythm. Snotlout looked at the last cup of mead in disgust. He took a deep breath and drank it. "YEEEEY! Snotlout is now confirmed drunk for the first time in his life," Tuffnut cheered, knocking heads with his sister.

"What do you guys say if I show it now?" Hiccup suggested, mostly talking to Astrid.

"Show us what now?" Snotlout asked, rubbing his head.

"I have something for you guys, but it's down in the forge," The teens stood up excitedly, fighting each other towards the door. Astrid and Hiccup ran after them with smiles on their faces. They ran down the steps and towards the forge where the four teens waited excitedly with their eyes glowing with happiness. Hiccup walked inside the forge, telling them to follow him out to the back yard where their presents were.

"Okay, so since the dragons aren't here and it's not really much fun to do. I invented something new a bit earlier today. Though I haven't had time to test it out properly," Hiccup muttered the last part. "Close your eyes," They closed their eyes and followed Hiccup's voice. Once they stood in a row, Hiccup stepped beside the presents that lay against the wall of the forge.

"Open them," He said excitedly, "Tada! I call it, snowboarding!" He gestured to the five boards that stood against the wall. The boards were long and round at both ends, a bit of it covered in the snow. The teens ran over to them excitedly, laying them down in the snow and took a foot on it to test it. Each board had a different color to symbolize which one was which. Fishlegs got a green one, Snotlout red, Ruffnut light blue, Tuffnut dark blue and Astrid yellow.

"This is amazing!" Astrid said, running a little and jumped on the board and let it slide in the snow. She smiled from ear to ear and jumped off it and tackled Hiccup in a bear hug. "Thank you," She said.

"I thought we could try them out tomorrow somewhere in Berk and have a race," Hiccup said nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"That would be awesome," Snotlout said.

"I'm in," Ruffnut cheered.

"Me too," Tuffnut said, fist bumping with his sister.

"Looks like it's settled then," Hiccup smiled.

"Now, we have something for-," Astrid was cut off by a roar. Wait. A roar? "Did you guys hear that?" She asked shocked. Then it came again.

"It sounds like a…," Fishlegs trailed off.

"Dragon," Hiccup breathed out, looking up in the sky. The moon barely covered in clouds, but something else, something that was moving, showed itself in front of the moon by the cover of night. Hiccup narrowed his eyes to try and get a better view of what was in the air. That was when he noticed whatever it was, had wings. "We gotta got tell my dad," Hiccup said, not frightened but happy. He knew what it was, and so did the rest of his friends. They ran up to the Great Hall, leaving the boards by the forge for tomorrow. Once they arrived, Hiccup slammed the doors opened and called out.


	62. Chapter 62

Vikings were making their way up they long stairs of stone to the Great Hall, ready for the party. Hiccup left his gifts for his friends down in the forge in his hut. He didn't have the strength to carry them up and down five times. Besides, where would he hide them from them anyway? The twins would've found them somewhere and Astrid would notice he was hiding something, which he sort of was.

He walked up the stairs to the Great Hall along with other Vikings, and greeted a Viking who held the door for him. Once inside, he scanned the whole room for his friends and soon found them eating by their table. He walked over to them quietly, not really feeling for celebrating Snoggletog this year either due to everything that has happened and were to happen in the future. Not to mention everything he would miss out on.

On his way, he grabbed a plate of chicken and a mug of water since he wasn't really a fan of mead. Mead was the drink for grown up Vikings and some teens that liked to get drunk and forget everything they did the next day. Hiccup on the other hand? He would prefer remembering everything in case it would be a memory he would remember for the rest of his life. This brings him to one upcoming memory. The dance with Fearless Astrid Hofferson, the girl of his dreams.

The thought of only dancing with her, made his palms sweaty and feel nervous around her presence. Before even reaching the table and greeting them, he could already feel his throat getting ready to stutter like Fishlegs trying to hide something. Even his mind was stuttering while he kept thinking of a way to greet them. Should I say Hi, H-hello- Stop stuttering you useless brain! Hiccup groaned in frustration, taking a deep breath as he kept walking. A few feet away he notice they were discussing something quietly, quiet enough for him not to hear it.

"H-Hey guys," Hiccup stuttered, mentally face palming himself. The teens eyes went wide, their conversation dying in an instant as they turned around to face him with their eyes still wide.

"Hey Hiccup, Hi…Hic, Hello…uhm," Astrid said awkwardly, leaning over the table like everyone else. Hiccup stared at them questioningly, awkwardly placing his plate down on the table and slowly sat down without breaking eye contact with her.

"Are you guys feeling alright?" He asked. They nodded in a unusual fast way. Hiccup looked over at Fishlegs knowing he would crack if only he held eye contact for a few straight seconds. He met his gaze with a curious look, ignoring Fishlegs hands that flew up to his mouth and his body shaking non-stop.

"Okay! We were hiding our-," Fishlegs was cut off by Snotlout punching him in the face, sending him to the floor in pain. Hiccup looked away from Fishlegs and up to Snotlout who was sitting at the table with a nervous smile. He looked down on the plate before him and stuffed some food in his mouth as an excuse for not explaining himself. Hiccup was about to ask when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around he found his father with Gobber and Spitelout.

"Do you mind if we borrow Hiccup for a few minutes?" Stoick asked, looking at the teens. Hiccup turned to look at them whit an approving look. The teens nodded weirdly at the chief who gave them a questioning look. "Okay then," He walked away with Hiccup who looked back at his friends scolding at Fishlegs for something. His father led them out of the Great Hall, away from the music and loud talking Vikings. Obviously needing some private place to talk.

"So… what did you want to talk to me about?" Hiccup asked nervously, keeping his hand at his sides. He could feel the cold winter wind trying to dry his sweaty hands but to no avail. Stoick cleared his throat and looked at Gobber who nodded.

"Snotlout will be under chief training too," Hiccup's eyes widened in shock. Did he really have to stay with him for three years, hearing him probably hit on Camicazi from already the first day they would arrive there?

"But," Stoick paused, having noticed Hiccup's uncomfortable expression. Hiccup looked at him in hope. "He will not be with you on the trip. Instead, Gobber and Spitelout will be teaching him here on Berk," Hiccup sighed in relief but a question popped up in his head.

"Then why can't I stay here too?" He asked curiously. Stoick sighed.

"The burglars are far more educated in combat skills and know far more techniques than anyone on Berk does, and since you will be Berk's future chief you will have most of the knowledge so that Snotlout won't be able to compare his combat skills with you. When you come back, you will be able to teach him what you've learned from Bertha, but that is up for you if you trust him enough with the information," Hiccup nodded understandingly.

"And you're telling me this… because?" Hiccup asked.

"Have you told your friend's about chief training yet?" Gobber asked.

"No. I planned on telling them tomorrow at the academy," He explained.

"Okay. Well, Snotlout doesn't know of this and if Spitelout tells him now he will only brag about it," Spitelout nodded at that statement. "That's why we need you to tell him while you're telling them that you will be leaving so that he doesn't start talking about it all the time," Hiccup nodded. There was an awkward silence.

"So… Did you need anything else, dad?" Hiccup asked, breaking the awkward silence. Stoick shook his head and watched Hiccup open the door.

"Wait!" Stoick shouted. Hiccup turned around, hands still on the door handle, curiously. "Happy Snoggletog, son," He said softly. Hiccup smiled, letting go of the door handle and walked over to his father who embraced him in a tight hug.

"Happy Snoggletog, dad," Hiccup smiled, letting a single tear fall. They pulled away and went back inside. Hiccup walked over to his friends table. He felt something wet on his right cheek, then remembered the tear. He quickly wiped it away and took a deep breath. It was the first time he actually heard his father say it to him. He was sad but at the same time happy. Happy that his father said it, but sad that he wouldn't be able to hear it from him and get a bone crushing hug as well for a few years.

He sat down by the table and started to eat, listening to their normal conversation. Well normal for Snotlout and the twins who were getting drunk on some mead they had stolen from a few already drunk Vikings. Astrid gently nudged his side, getting his attention.

"We have something we'd like to show you later," She smiled happily, taking a zip from her mug.

"Oh? I have something I need to show you guys too," He smiled back, looking into her beautiful blue eyes. She nodded and looked over at Snotlout.

"Come on! One more, one more, one more," The twins cheered, punching the table in rhythm. Snotlout looked at the last cup of mead in disgust. He took a deep breath and drank it. "YEEEEY! Snotlout is now confirmed drunk for the first time in his life," Tuffnut cheered, knocking heads with his sister.

"What do you guys say if I show it now?" Hiccup suggested, mostly talking to Astrid.

"Show us what now?" Snotlout asked, rubbing his head.

"I have something for you guys, but it's down in the forge," The teens stood up excitedly, fighting each other towards the door. Astrid and Hiccup ran after them with smiles on their faces. They ran down the steps and towards the forge where the four teens waited excitedly with their eyes glowing with happiness. Hiccup walked inside the forge, telling them to follow him out to the back yard where their presents were.

"Okay, so since the dragons aren't here and it's not really much fun to do. I invented something new a bit earlier today. Though I haven't had time to test it out properly," Hiccup muttered the last part. "Close your eyes," They closed their eyes and followed Hiccup's voice. Once they stood in a row, Hiccup stepped beside the presents that lay against the wall of the forge.

"Open them," He said excitedly, "Tada! I call it, snowboarding!" He gestured to the five boards that stood against the wall. The boards were long and round at both ends, a bit of it covered in the snow. The teens ran over to them excitedly, laying them down in the snow and took a foot on it to test it. Each board had a different color to symbolize which one was which. Fishlegs got a green one, Snotlout red, Ruffnut light blue, Tuffnut dark blue and Astrid yellow.

"This is amazing!" Astrid said, running a little and jumped on the board and let it slide in the snow. She smiled from ear to ear and jumped off it and tackled Hiccup in a bear hug. "Thank you," She said.

"I thought we could try them out tomorrow somewhere in Berk and have a race," Hiccup said nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"That would be awesome," Snotlout said.

"I'm in," Ruffnut cheered.

"Me too," Tuffnut said, fist bumping with his sister.

"Looks like it's settled then," Hiccup smiled.

"Now, we have something for-," Astrid was cut off by a roar. Wait. A roar? "Did you guys hear that?" She asked shocked. Then it came again.

"It sounds like a…," Fishlegs trailed off.

"Dragon," Hiccup breathed out, looking up in the sky. The moon barely covered in clouds, but something else, something that was moving, showed itself in front of the moon by the cover of night. Hiccup narrowed his eyes to try and get a better view of what was in the air. That was when he noticed whatever it was, had wings. "We gotta got tell my dad," Hiccup said, not frightened but happy. He knew what it was, and so did the rest of his friends. They ran up to the Great Hall, leaving the boards by the forge for tomorrow. Once they arrived, Hiccup slammed the doors opened and called out.


	63. Chapter 63

"Dad!" The music, the talking, everything stopped. All the attention was brought to him. Stoick looked turned around to see Hiccup looking at him from the huge doors. He walked over to him with confusion written all over his face.

"What is it son?" He asked once he found his voice.

"We spotted something in the sky, and we think we know what it is," Hiccup smiled, pulling his father out of the Great Hall. All the Villagers who had listened followed them outside and stood outside the hall. Everyone's eyes were drawn to the sky to see a few, no, hundreds of black figures making their way towards them. As they got closer and closer, the creature's scaly skin showed its natural color. It was then they knew, it was the dragons.

Vikings cheered at the top of their lungs, running down to greet their dragons. Hiccup sat down in the stairs, deciding to wait there instead of risking to get smashed by the running dragons. His eyes widened when he saw the first dragon land. It had…dragon hatchlings on its back!

"That's why they left! To have their babies!" Hiccup said happily, but frowned when he thought of Toothless. Looking around in panic, he didn't see the familiar black figure anywhere near them. He knew then, that Toothless was nowhere near him, and nowhere near Berk. Toothless is the only Night Fury they know of, and it wasn't possible for two different species to mate was it? Hiccup sighed, and walked up to the Great Hall. Behind him he could hear voices of his friends and his father greeting their dragons and squealing over the baby dragons. He looked back once more, feeling the tears threatening to fall, and then walked back to the Great Hall. Instead of sitting by the table, he decided he would sit a little away from everybody, wishing nobody would notice, but that wish soon faded as the hall filled with both dragons and Vikings.

He leaned his head back on the wall, knees close to his chest with his hands resting on them. He sighed heavily, letting a tear fall as he stared at the floor. The room was filled with music and dragon hatchlings running around happily with some of the Viking following them. Looking around, he found his father at the table for the council and his friends playing with some hatchlings. He stared at Astrid, seeing how happy she was as he held a deadly nadder, Stormfly's hatchling he presumed, nuzzling her neck. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her beautiful smile, the happy blue eyes that seemed to be the only thing really shining in the hall. He kept his eyes on her for a little while later, enjoying the sight, but then her eyes met his.

Her smile faded as she noticed the sadness in his face. He looked away, refusing to look into her eyes. She stood up and nudged Fishlegs on his shoulder. He looked at her questioningly along with the other teens. She looked at Hiccup and pointed at him sadly. Before the others could say something, she was walking over to him, scratching the nadder's chin.

"Hiccup?" She asked softly. No response. She kneeled down in front of him, reaching out her hand for him. She gently lifted his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes. His eyes showed pure sadness and she could see that tears threatened to spill from his eyes, that he was struggling to keep them away. "What's wrong Hiccup?" He didn't answer. He just looked into her eyes as a tear fell down his cheek. The nadder in her hands shifted, flapping its wings into Hiccup's lap. Hiccup smiled weakly, petting the nadder as it snuggled against his chest. Astrid gasped; looking around after the big, midnight colored Night Fury, but found nothing. "Where's Toothless?" The question struck Hiccup's heart hard as if a blade was digging into his heart slowly. He took a deep breathe, collecting all the courage he had.

"I don't… know," He said, looking away. Astrid looked back at the others who were as shocked as her. She noticed Snotlout was holding their present from them to him. She stood up, and went over to him. He handed her the present and walked closer to Hiccup along with the others. They kneeled down around him, making him look up at them.

"Here," She handed him the present. He looked at them confused and shocked. He had never gotten a present from anyone. Not even Gobber. Gobber wasn't exactly the Snoggletog gift person. Usually he would just celebrate Snoggletog without presents and soon Hiccup learned to live through the holiday like that too.

"What's this?" Hiccup asked still shocked.

"You have to open it to find out," Astrid chuckled with a huge smile.

"Th-that's not what I meant," Hiccup said, letting out a small laugh.

"It's a present from us to you," She gestured to the others who were waiting excitedly.

"Open it already," Snotlout groaned, making everyone laugh at him. Hiccup nodded and untied the tie over the box. He opened the lid and peeked inside. His eyes widened in shock. He was completely speechless. He pulled out a drawing and looked at it. It was him along with Toothless and his friends with their dragons.

"Did you guys make this?" He asked, still in awe.

"Yup, and we also got you something else," Astrid smiled. Hiccup placed the drawing down and looked in the box again. He pulled out a wooden box and opened it. Ten charcoal pens were inside it. He smiled widely at them.

"Thank you. I-I've never had any presents before. Thank you guys, I really mean it," The other's smiled and helped him up. They went back over to their table, but before any of them could sit down, there was an announcement. All the Vikings calmed down and turned their attention to the talking chief.

"In only a few short minutes, our annual Snoggletog dance will start. So grab your partner and get to the dance floor! Happy Snoggletog everybody," Stoick announced and everyone cheered. Hiccup looked at Astrid who blushed slightly.

"May I have this dance milady?" He bowed, reaching out a hand for her. Astrid chuckled and took his hand.

"You may, good sir," She chuckled and they both went over to the dance floor.

"How did she… end up with him," Snotlout complained before falling asleep on the table with loud snores. The twins chuckled and got out some painting. Fishlegs chuckled and watched as the twins started painting on his face.

The music started as they reached the dance floor. Married couples were dancing around them, some women leaning on their man. Both Hiccup and Astrid blushed at the sight, and looked at each other. They danced to the rhythm of the music and without really having noticed, Astrid's head was lying on his chest as they swayed around slowly, Hiccup leading the dance. Her eyes were closed as she took in the scent of Hiccup. It wasn't like any other Viking like smell. It was rather sweet and comfortable to be around with.

"I'm sorry Hiccup," She breathed out, feeling Hiccup's eyes look down at her. "I know this must be really hard for you. To see everyone with their dragons," She sighed, pulling him closer. "I'm sorry that you have to go through this. But brining dragons and Vikings together is the most wonderful thing that could possibly have happened, thank you," She looked up at him and kissed him quickly, pulling him in for a tight hug. Hiccup sighed, looking at the ground behind her.

"Astrid, where did Toothless go? He can't fly on his own," He paused. "When he left, the dragon's carried him away, but what if-," he cut himself off with a deep breath. "What if they left him alone."

"I don't know where he is," Astrid said softly, hugging him tighter," But where ever he is, I'm sure he misses you," She let go and gave him a small smile.

"I sure do," Hiccup chuckled. Astrid laid her head back on his chest, her eyes looking over his shoulder. She looked at the door, watching it go open. Her eyes narrowed as she couldn't see anyone enter. A black figure creped through the entrance with its curious green eyes. Astrid smiled at the creature, pulling away from Hiccup. Hiccup looked at her confused by the sudden move.

"Wow, man, I wouldn't wanna be you right now! I mean everyone's dragons are back except yours!" Astrid nervously chuckled, frantically looking back and forth at the two.

"Thank you," Hiccup said sarcastically, "That's really not helping at all," Astrid smiled widely and pushed Hiccup away from him, making him turn around to the huge doors.

"Toothless!" Hiccup yelled, running towards his dragon. Toothless ran over happily, showing of his gums. He stopped right in front of Hiccup who, a couple of seconds later, wrapped his arms around his thick, scaly neck as a hug. He pulled away and tried to put on a serious face as he pointed his finger at the dragon. "Bad dragon! Very bad dragon! You scared me to death. Don't ever stay away that long again," Toothless purred, licking Hiccup's face. He bent down and pushed Hiccup on his back by surprise. The Vikings who had stopped whatever they were doing, laughed loudly along with the chief. Happy to see the bond between the two.


	64. Chapter 64

"Still think you can win Snotface?" Astrid teased, leaning forward on her snowboard. Snotlout looked over at her, his face red as a tomato.

"For the last time, it's Snotlout!" He shouted, looking forward just in time to dodge a tree. Astrid chuckled and looked back to see the twins punching each other and surprisingly keeping their balance.

"MEATLUG! MEEATLUUG! DON'T GO TOO FAR AWAY ON ME NOW," Fishlegs shrieked, struggling to keep his balance. The dragons were flying above their riders to keep an eye on them in case anything was to happen. Toothless on the other hand stayed on the ground, sledding on his belly alongside Hiccup. Never once letting his rider out of sight. Speaking of Hiccup.

Astrid's eyes looked around her surroundings, searching for the one-legged boy. "Whoohooo!" Hiccup shouted happily, swooping past Astrid and Snotlout in top speed. Astrid laughed, bending lower to catch speed. Hiccup and Astrid's eyes met, making them both chuckle and seconds later, focus on the front. Hiccup bent down, picking up some snow in his hand and throw it up in the air, making it snow above him for a few seconds. She chuckled at his childishness and sped alongside him.

"Someone's enjoying the race," Astrid said, ducking away from a boulder.

"It's winter! I'm enjoying it while I can," Hiccup shouted back, giving her a smile. He usually enjoyed the winter. The beautiful white snow that showed the happy side of Berk whether the war between dragons and humans still continued or not. There were so many things he could do in the season, and with his brain, he could invent even more.

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound. Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other with confused faces. They looked behind them to see their friends looking at something out of their view. Something white and big was coming their way with no plans of stopping.

"An Avalanche!" Astrid shouted.

"Dragons everyone!" Hiccup yelled, whistling for Toothless. He saw a boulder coming his way. Bracing himself, he got lower, nodding to Toothless who understood what he said. He jumped up in the air with the help of the boulder, grabbed his snowboard and landed perfectly on Toothless. His prosthetic leg hooked itself up, and he pushed it down. Nothing happened. He clicked it several times more, only hearing the clicking sound of it. Looking back, he saw the problem.

Toothless's tailfin was frozen.

Hiccup patted Toothless's head, giving him his board and unlocked his prosthetic leg and turned around, holding tightly onto the saddle. He crawled down his tail, reaching out for his tailfin. He tried to break it, but nothing worked.

"Hiccup, come on!" Astrid shouted, flying down beside him.

"I can't! Toothless's tail is frozen solid!" Hiccup shouted back, smashing his cold hand against the tailfin.

"Snotlout!" He flew down on the opposite side of Toothless and looked at her questioningly. "Don't just fly there! Help us!" She yelled. Toothless spread his wings, letting them grab him by his wings and together they flew them away. Hiccup looked forward, seeing the snow only a few inches and could already feel the coldness of the snow, but in the last second, they flew up and got away alive and whole. He sighed in relief, turning around to climb in the saddle.

"Thanks guys," He laughed, gripping the handles hard. "Bring us to the forge! I have a spare tailfin there," Astrid nodded and steered Stormfly towards Berk.

* * *

"Okie dokie, that should do it," Hiccup clapped his hands together, looking down at the new tailfin. He nodded in approval and went outside to his friends.

"I was thinking of calling him Ron or Larry," Tuffnut said, hand on his chin in a thinking position. Hiccup walked over to Astrid and stood beside her.

"What is he talking about?" He asked confused. All their dragons were lined up in a row, but the attention was on the Zippleback.

"Tuffnut found out he hadn't named his part of the dragon yet. Basically, he's trying to find the right name," She explained simply. Hiccup snorted, watching them curiously.

"Snelch, Relch, Nelch…," Tuffnut mumbled, trying to find the perfect name. Fishlegs walked over to Hiccup and Astrid, looking at the male twin.

"Why doesn't he just call him…Belch?" Fishlegs mumbled.

"Belch?" Tuffnut said, turning around to Fishlegs with an unamused look. "Belch… I LOVE IT!" He shouted all of a sudden. The Zippleback looked at his rider for once, looking pleased with the decision.

"You don't even know what it means, do ya?" Hiccup asked sarcastically.

"Uhm…Yes?" Tuffnut said confident. Hiccup gave him the are-you-seriously-expecting-me-to-believe-that look. "No," Tuffnut gave up, looking down at his feet. The three teens groaned at his stupidity.

"Hey Hiccup," Snotlout paused, walking over to him. "Didn't you have something you wanted to tell us?" Hiccup's eyes widened, his hand almost instantly going to the back of his neck.

"Y-Yeah, I-I do…uhm…could we talk in the academy? W-where it's…private?" Hiccup asked nervously, almost pleading them to agree. They nodded and mounted their dragons, and then flew off towards the academy.


	65. Chapter 65

All the teens were staring at Hiccup, waiting for him to speak up. Hiccup ran his hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down, and the other hand resting on Toothless's head, scratching it softly. "Say it already!" Snotlout groaned, waving his hands in the air like crazy. Hiccup groaned at his impatient behavior. He took a deep breath.

"Snotlout and I are going into chief training," Hiccup blurted out.

"WHAT?!" They shouted in unison.

"Oh yeah! I'm getting in for…what did you call it again?" Hiccup facepalmed himself.

"Chief training," Snotlout clapped his hand, dancing around excitedly. Hiccup frowned, looking down at his feet. Unsure of his feelings. At least now he understood why Spitelout didn't want to tell him on Snoggletog.

"That's great!" Astrid exclaimed happily. Hiccup looked up at her with sad eyes. "What's wrong?" Astrid asked, noticing his expression. Hiccup sighed.

"It's not really that great," Hiccup muttered, but loud enough for them to hear.

"What do you mean? I mean, chief training? What an honor!" Fishlegs squealed excitedly.

"I know, I know. It's just…," He trailed off, unsure of how he would say it. "It's not the same when you have to learn on another…Island," Their eyes went wide. Snotlout came over to him, looking mad.

"What are you talking about?" Snotlout almost shouted.

"Dad told me I would be sent to another Island for training. You on the other hand, will stay on Berk and train with our fathers and Gobber," Hiccup let out a deep breath he didn't even know he held.

"How long will you…be away?" Astrid asked shyly, walking closer to him.

"Three…years," Astrid gasped, looking directly into his eyes. She couldn't see anything but pain and sadness. Before anyone could say anything, she wrapped her arms around him tightly. "And that's not the worst part," Astrid pulled away and looked at him. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Why?!" Astrid asked angrily. Hiccup looked at her confused. "Why can't you stay here on Berk like Snotlout?" Hiccup sighed. He knew he would have to explain everything to them, but he really hoped he wouldn't. That they would just let it got by the little explanation. But knowing Astrid, she would interrogate until she had her answers. No matter what.

"Since I'm the heir of Berk, I will be sent away to the Bog-Burglars Tribe and get trained by their chief Bertha along with her daughter Camicazi who will also be training with me. My father said the heir was always sent away to that tribe or another, depending on the relationships between the chiefs, and if the heir had any siblings close to his age, that person would be staying on Berk for learning instead. Since I'm going to be the future chief, I have to learn how to defend myself and the whole population of Berk. Snotlout will be thought on Berk because our combat skills are weaker than the Burglars. Dad said it's because the future chief should always be able to protect himself from enemies, whether they were family or not. Therefore I will learn from them, since they have more knowledge," Snotlout whined at the explanation.

"That's not fair, at all," Hiccup sighed.

"But," He paused, taking a deep breath. "When I come back, I will be able to show what I have learned to whomever I want. It's my decision whether I trust that person or not. Basically, I may learn you later in time," Snotlout cheered, grabbing Hiccup by his shoulder and shook him rapidly, making him a bit dizzy.

"You have to teach me, please, please, please," Snotlout…begged? Astrid groaned at his childishness, pushing him off of Hiccup.

"Did you not hear him? It's his decision. Maybe if you were nice for once, he may actually teach you," Astrid said, placing her hand gently on Hiccups shoulder and her free hand on her hip. Hiccup managed to show a small smile, but thought of something else. He looked at Fishlegs who looked like he would burst into tears any second now.

"Fishlegs?" He looked up at him curiously, silently asking him to continue. "Is there any dragon that could carry small amount of weight from an Island to another? Like a distance between Berk and the Bog-Burglars tribe?" Fishlegs thought hard.

"Terrible terrors maybe. Terrors are especially territorial. So it's a natural instinct for them to return to their home from wherever they get released," Fishlegs explained, pausing for a few seconds to think if he forgot something. Eventually he gave up and looked at Hiccup curiously. "Why?"

"If I'm staying away for a while, it would be nice to have some updates on Berk once in a while," Hiccup explained, smirking ever so slightly.

"I think I know where you're going with this," Fishlegs said before running off to Thor knows where.

"I'll see you guys later. Got to go pack my stuff," Hiccup gave them a sad smile before he jumped on Toothless's back and whispered for him to fly back to the village.

"I'm really going to miss him when he leaves," Astrid muttered to herself, walking slowly over to Stormfly and left the academy. She took a few laps around the Island, deciding whether or not she should go to Hiccup's house and talk to him, but about what exactly? She wanted so badly to tell him how much she would miss him, but that would only reveal her soft spot. Though, she did have a soft spot for the one-legged guy. Her decision was made and she ordered her dragon towards the Haddock's house.

"Hiccup? Are you home?" She called out, walking into his house after knocking several times without anyone answering. There was a thump upstairs, giving the top of the stairs her attention.

"I'm in my room!" A voice called out from the top of the stairs. She walked upstairs to see two baskets on a bed, making her mood sadder than it already was. She looked over at Hiccup who stood by his desk, removing all his sketches and putting them gently in a notebook of his. Toothless took the box of charcoal he received on Snoggletog, laying it on top of the notebook in the basket. Hiccup patted his head, closing the basket and thanked him before looking over at her. "Hey," He said, starting a conversation.

"Hey," She said awkwardly. The last day they would spend together and she couldn't even find a word to say.

"So…did you need something?" Hiccup asked, walking over to his closet and opened the cabinet, pulling out a pair of clothes. He laid them on the bed, looking at Astrid for an answer, but she just stood there. Keeping her eyes locked on the baskets. Hiccup didn't know what to do but approach her slowly. When they stood face to face, Astrid pulled him in for a tight hug.

"Do you have to go?" She asked. Hiccup sighed, brushing her hand down her back calmly. "I'm afraid so," Hiccup pulled away, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Could you…take over the academy while I'm gone? Along with Fishlegs? It wouldn't be good for you or your dragon if you stopped training together for three years straight," Astrid nodded. "I'll see if I can send you some tasks to do and different things that I may learn while I'm gone," Astrid looked at him confused.

"How? Aren't the Bog-Burglars still in war with the dragons? How would you learn more if they were to harm the dragons?" She asked curiously.

"I forgot to mention that," He said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "My dad also said that in exchange for my lessons, I would have to help them with their dragon problems. Including training the wild dragons," Astrid nodded in understanding, but another question popped in her head.

"Does that mean, Toothless will be coming with you?" Hiccup nodded.

"My father wouldn't be able to get me on chief training if he was to stay in Berk. Besides, I need something that makes me feel like home while I'm staying there. It would really be fair if my dragon stayed behind while I trained dragons for other people for the next three years," Astrid chuckled, nodding.

"You got that right," She said, laughing a little with a smile. Hiccup went over to the bed, folding his cloths before putting it in his basket. He left room for his fur vest since he would be using the coat he got from his grandfather on the trip. It would keep him warmer than the fur vest.

There was a squeak and a tiny roar, coming from somewhere close to their presence. They turned to look at Toothless who gave them his sarcastic look as if saying do-you-really-think-that-was-me? Suddenly, a tiny terrible terror flew through the window of his room. The terror was mostly orange but had a faint color of white on its chin along with the purple color on its wings, horns and eyelids. It flew in circles around the room as if in a trance. Hiccup climbed up in his bed, gently pulling the terror in his hands. He stepped back down, sitting down on the edge of his bed along with Astrid and Toothless curiously sniffing the tiny dragon.

"What's that?" Astrid asked, pointing to something attached to his leg. Hiccup placed the terror in his lap, untying the rope around its leg and unfolded the paper attached to it.

 _Dear Hiccup,_

 _Meet us at the academy,_

 _Yours Sincerely,_

 _Fishlegs Ingerman_

Astrid looked at him confused. They had only been away for half an hour. She could only imagine the trouble she would come to. Hiccup stood up, letting the terror climb onto his arm and placed the letter in his belt.

"We should see what they're up to," Hiccup said urgently, walking towards the stair with Toothless.

"Yeah, we should," Astrid said, sprinting down the stairs after them.

"What in Thor's name?" Hiccup said with a frown, landing close to the academy as he scratched the terrible terror's chin. It purred in delight, lightly flapping its wings without flying an inch up in the air. There were Vikings crowded around the ring, yelling different things that they couldn't understand a word off.

"Thank Thor you're here. I'm glad the air mail worked," A panting Fishlegs said relieved, letting the terrible terror sit on his forearm.

"Air mail?" Astrid asked confused.

"Yup, Air mail. Instead of sending messages by ships we can now do it through the air with the air mail," Fishlegs squealed, scratching the little dragon's chin.

"Fishlegs? What's going on here?" Hiccup asked, gesturing to the crowd of angry looking Vikings.

"Oh, right! You're father wanted you to meet him in the ring. They're deciding what to do with Mildew, but he wanted to hear what you had to say first since you were the…main victim of it all," Fishlegs explained. Hiccup nodded and walked over to the gate with Toothless trailing behind. The gate of the academy was already open and he could see his father and Gobber waiting for him in the center with Mildew in chains. Hiccup walked slowly towards them, looking around at the Vikings who stared at the two walking in. All this came back as a memory for him.

* * *

 _Hiccup placed his helmet on his head with a deep breath as the gates opened. He barely noticed the pat on his back he received from Gobber due to the nervousness of what he was about to prove to the stubborn Vikings. But worst of all, his father. His hands were at his sides, relaxing for the moment until everything would happen. Until the destiny of Berk may change forever. Either way he ended up with, it would chance anyway. It was either prove them that dragons meant no harm or die in the process. But it was definitely something he was ready for. He was ready for both, surviving or dying._

 _There was Vikings crowded around the ring, some climbing in on the steel bars that distinction them from the killing ring itself. The center of it where everything would happen. His heart was beating faster in his chest, feeling his hands become moisten at his nervousness. He took deep breaths but nothing seemed to calm himself. Many times had he had all the attention from the village, but this time, it wasn't for the same reasons._

 _This time, the Vikings looked at him in awe. Cheering on him for becoming one of them instead of looking at him in disappointment after a dragon raid where he was the problem to most of the damage. The pride he should have felt wasn't there. No one else but the gang, as he preferred to call them, knew that he cheated his way up to the top. His father, Gobber. They didn't know. All they knew was that he had his ways with the beasts and made his way to the top by that ability. It was all just a lie._

 _The gate behind him shut with a creaking sound and he knew there was no escaping now. He had made his decision. If he would've told his feelings and thought at that exact moment, the listeners would have believed differently on what he actually meant. At first, he thought he had made his decision, on whether proving the village that dragons meant no harm, but thinking clearer on the topic, he actually made it the day before. The day when the gang discovered the forbidden friendship between Viking and Dragon. He could have just run away when the teenagers ran out of the cove, but he didn't. He didn't run away because he thought he would be able to change their minds about dragons. And if he could change theirs, he was positive he could change the rest of the village._

* * *

His father's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "You're here," Stoick said, giving him a soft smile before he turned to the crowd around them. "We have gathered here today to make a decision for Mildew the Cantankerous, future. Mildew was once a part of Berk's population, but not anymore. Now, he's a traitor. He cooperated with Alvin the Treacherous, trying to get Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third, Berk's Hero, back into the claws of the Outcasts. As all of you know, doing any harm or be a possible threat to the heir of Berk, makes great consequences such as banishment and execution. Our decision has been made," Stoick explained, looking deep into the ugly old Viking's soul. "That he will be executed for his actions," Hiccup's eyes widened as he stared at his father in shock. Vikings gasped at the announcement. Not in many years, had they executed Vikings. Especially not from the same tribe.

"Dad? You can't be serious?!" Hiccup shouted in disbelief. All the attention was brought to him. His father looked at him in shock. He wasn't sure if he had heard him right. Was he defending that scum bag? "Dad, if you execute him…we won't be looked at any better than the Outcasts themselves," Hiccup yelled.

"Are you defending him?" Stoick asked. Hiccup was sure his father's eyes would fall out of his head in any second. Stoick approached Hiccup, making him back away in fear. He knew where this may lead to since he had experienced it so many times earlier in his life.

"W-what?! N-no! But execution isn't the answer!" Hiccup shouted, gesturing to the old man.

"Don't you remember what he did to you? He betrayed you, he betrayed Berk!" Stoick shouted back, stopping as he noticed Hiccup only backed away for each step he walked closer.

"I know! It's just, if you execute him, it will be on my hands!" Hiccup shouted at him, also stopped walking.

"What do you mean?" Stoick asked confused, his voice calm.

"If he's executed, it's because of me. I was the victim of it all, but that doesn't give me or anyone else the right to execute someone's life."

"HE WAS GOIN TO TAKE YOU BACK TO ALVIN! Have you forgotten what he did to you back on Outcast Island?!" His father shouted, but he wished he brought it back. He knew that bringing back the memories of his days as a slave for Alvin, was painful enough as it was to know a man was determined to get him for himself.

"OF COURSE NOT! How could I ever forget it?! But killing is not the answer dad! It's never the answer. Killing is what men like Alvin do. He kills without reason. He takes prisoners for Thor knows what reasons. He tortures to get the answers he wants. I of all people know what kind of man he is. And I'm sure you want to be a better man than Alvin. A better chief. But killing a man for being a part of a plan that didn't even work out as they planned, just makes you as dark as him," Stoick was speechless. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. His son had a point, but the thought of what could have happened to him IF the plan worked, was heartbreaking. He sighed heavily.

"I don't care. It's in the Berkian's law, and even if it wasn't, I wouldn't want him to escape so easily from his actions," Stoick nodded to Sven who stood ready with his sword. Gobber pushed Mildew down on his knees and held him there. "Any last words, Mildew?" Stoick spat, hating the name that escaped his lips.

"I have many words," Mildew smirked, turning to Hiccup who was watching in anger, mostly anger towards his father. He couldn't believe him. He couldn't believe he would ignore his wishes to spare the old man's life. His father didn't understand that the death of Mildew the Cantankerous would haunt him and that his blood would be on his hands. His father simply didn't care. He did, after all, say so himself. "Alvin is going to get his hands on you, and when he does. It won't be pretty. Always know, I'll be watching over you, haunting your dreams and laugh at you getting tortured by my master," Stoick nodded to Sven who stepped closer to him.

"What did you say?" Hiccup asked shocked. He looked at Sven who raised the sword high above his head, ready to strike. But something wasn't right. "STOP!" Hiccup shouted, stopping Sven from striking. He looked at the chief confused, lowering his sword.

"What are you doing?!" Stoick shouted, reaching out for Hiccup's arm to pull him away, but he dodged him and grabbed Mildew's jaw, squeezing it tight. Hiccup narrowed his eyes, looking deep into Mildew very own.

"Something's not right," Hiccup muttered in disbelief, looking away from Mildew for a few seconds before he let go of the old man. "Someone bring in Gothi!" Hiccup yelled, searching for her in the crowd. He waited for what seemed like hours, and the gate finally opened, revealing Gothi. She walked over to the boy, giving him a questioning look. "I need you to check him. Something's wrong with him," Hiccup said, stepping away from the man to give her some room. She nodded and gave him her staff. She held Mildew by his jaw, and examined his eyes closely.

"What's going on?" Gobber asked confused, stepping towards Gothi to get a better look, but Hiccup stopped him. A few minutes passed, and Gothi let go of Mildew's jaw, sending him moaning to the ground of the uncomfortableness. She turned around with wide eyes. A Viking came in with a sack of sand, spreading it out on the floor. Gothi began writing in it, and Gobber translated it.

"She says he's been… possessed by Alvin," The crowd gasped, staring in shock at the old man who smirked evilly.

"How did you know?" Stoick asked Hiccup, shocked.

"Mildew wouldn't have called someone master," He said, glaring daggers at his father. "Gothi, can you do something about the possession?" Gothi nodded and wrote in the sand.

"She says she will try. Bring him to her hut and she will start looking at him," Gobber translated. Stoick nodded.

"Meeting dismissed," Stoick announced and watch his people get back to the village on either dragon or by foot. Hiccup turned towards the gates to go anywhere away from his father. He needed time to think. He needed time alone where it would only be him and Toothless. By the gate, he saw his friends going into the academy towards him. "And where do you think you're going, young man?" Stoick said, turning towards his son. Hiccup felt anger build its way up to his head, wanting to take control of his body and mind.

"Anywhere away from you," Hiccup spat, walking towards the gates angrily. A strong hand gripped his shoulder, harshly turning him towards his father.

"Don't give me that tone," Stoick warned, gripping Hiccup's wrist hard so he couldn't escape. Toothless growled, defensively, snarling at Stoick.

"Why not?" Hiccup yelled. "I thought you had changed. I thought you were better than Alvin. But now I realize how similar you two are,"

"I'm nothing like Alvin," Stoick growled.

"Oh, you're not? Then why wouldn't you listen to me? Why wouldn't you listen to your own son, practically begging you to spare someone's life because he couldn't stand the thought that the man's blood would be on his hands?"

"It wouldn't be on your hands, it would have been on his own."

"You don't understand, and you may never really understand. That's just because you're blind. You can't see that your own son pleaded you to spare him because he simply couldn't handle the thought of Mildew haunting his dreams. You just don't care, do you?"

"I do care. I just don't care about that man!" Stoick growled louder.

"Exactly! Isn't a chief supposed to care for people?"

"Not when that person is a traitor."

"But you don't know that! He's possessed by Alvin."

"That doesn't mean he's not working for him," Hiccup groaned in frustration. His father didn't understand his point and he was done trying to explain it for him.

"Argh! Forget it! You don't understand anything. I don't know why I'm even trying to explain this to you. Hell, I don't even know why I forgave you for what you did in the past. It was all a mistake, everything. You haven't changed one bit. You're still the same monster you were before the battle of the Red death," Stoick gripped Hiccup's wrist harder, making him yelp in pain. "D-dad..! You're hurting me!" Hiccup shouted in panic, feeling his knees give out beneath him as he was sure his father would break his wrist. His knees hit the ground hard, his free hand trying to pull his father away from him.

Gobber ran over to Stoick, pulling him away along with Sven. Astrid and Fishlegs ran over to Hiccup, supporting his body. Hiccup stared up at his father in shock. His father was still a monster.

"I'm glad I won't be seeing you for a while. I could use some time without you," Hiccup said before jumping on Toothless and flew away from them all.


	66. Chapter 66

Hiccup sat on a cliff, high up in the mountains. He decided he would go somewhere he hadn't been before. Below, he saw his friends by raven point, trying to search for him. He could hear their voices calling for his name or his dragon's, but he simply didn't care. He didn't care about anything. Just like his father didn't care about a person whether it was an enemy or not. His father had hurt him. His father was a maniac. His father…hadn't changed one bit. He remembered back earlier that morning where his father brought him to the Great Hall so that they could have their painting.

* * *

 _"_ _Shoulder back, chin up son," Stoick said, patting Hiccup's shoulder. It was time for the chief and his son's portrait that would be staying in the Great Hall along with the rest of the elite of the Haddock clan. The hall was cleared out as the two stood next to each other._

 _Stoick's hands wrapped around Hiccup's shoulder, pulling him close to him with proudness, and his other hand gripping the handle of the old, traditional sword. Each family had its sword and shield that would represent their family. With its family crest carved into the bottom of the handle or painted at the front of the shield, to show it was rightfully theirs. Hiccup held an old shield in his right hand, the other one hanging limply down. He felt uncomfortable in the position he was forced to stay in. The shield he held had the Haddock's family crest. It was a simple symbol put together of three things. An eye, a Viking helmet and the symbol of protection._

 _Never had he questioned the history behind the symbol, and neither did he plan to. A part of him didn't want to know about the way it was made, assuming it involved dragon killing, but at the same time he wanted to know the secret behind it, because of his curiosity._

 _"_ _This portrait is going to hang in this hall forever," Stoick laughed, looking at the artist. Bucket. Bucket punched himself several times, bumping his bucket into the post behind him and continued painting like a maniac. He had the enthusiasm of a little girl that was allowed to bond with a hatchling._

 _"_ _I've never seen this side of Bucket before," Hiccup whispered, keeping his eyes on the artist._

 _"_ _Well, since he lost half of his brain he became…an artist," Stoick chuckled, watching the artist paint on the shield with different colors that he was sure neither of them wore._

 _"_ _So he can actually paint," Hiccup said more as a statement than a question._

 _"_ _Oh, he's the best! He's going to do us proud son," Stoick said enthusiastically. "Now, chest out son," Stoick said once he noticed Hiccup's sloppy posture. Hiccup gasped in air to make his chest pop out, but breathed out afterwards in defeat._

 _"_ _Yeah, this is as out as it goes, dad," He sighed, relaxing a little more but held his shoulders back and chin up proudly._

 _"_ _Nah, very well then," Stoick sighed and turned back to the artist again. There was silence for the rest of the time until finally, the painting was done._

 _The whole village gathered in the Great Hall for the traditional painting of the heir to the thrown of Berk and the chief. Stoick and Hiccup stood at the front, next to the painting though it was still in view. Stoick had his arm wrapped around his son's shoulder proudly, just like they had when they were posturing for the artist. Just this time they didn't have to carry their weapons or shields._

 _Bucket gripped the blanket covering the painting as Stoick calmed everyone down and the air was deadly quiet, all eyes focused on the covered painting. He ripped the blanket away from the painting, revealing the new portrait of the latest heir and chief. The crowd cheered, looking back and forth at the painting and the real life people on it. They couldn't see the difference. It was absolutely wonderful. Stoick thanked Bucket and cheered with Mulch and his close friends of Berk. He was too busy to take notice of Hiccup sneaking out of the Great Hall with his friends who was getting ready for the snowboarding competition though Hiccup kept reminding them it was not a competition._

* * *

He sighed, leaning down on the black, scaly dragon behind him. Closing his eyes, he could hear the sound of his friends calling his name get fainter and fainter which calmed him down. As much as he wanted to go down and tell them they didn't have to look after him, he knew he couldn't. They would just follow him and know about his new place. They wouldn't leave him alone and that was exactly what he wanted now.

Even if he wouldn't see them for three years, he simply didn't care. All he could care about was how his father had recently been so harsh to him and earlier been so soft. He silently prayed to the gods they would find someone to help his father control his anger while he was gone. He didn't know what he would do if he came back to his father in the same state as he was now and probably would be when he left. Thinking about it, he wasn't sure if his father would even show up to bid farewell to him. And just as expected, he didn't.

Hiccup took his basket and strapped on of them over his shoulders and the other on Toothless's saddle. They walked downstairs together and walked out of the house where the village was waiting along with his friend and Gobber. Before he closed the door, he looked at his dad who had fallen asleep in his chair by the fireplace. If his father would say goodbye, he wouldn't be asleep at that time. The light from outside, shone brightly at his thin figure, making his figure look darker from the inside. "I'm sorry dad. See you in a few years," He whispered and shut the door, walking down the few steps to where his friends stood. They tackled him into a group hug shortly followed by Gobber and the dragons.

Hiccup laughed warmly at the feeling of someone that would miss him. But his heart still felt empty. Like it was shattered and put together again like a puzzle mystery with only one piece missing to complete it with. He looked at the door, silently praying to himself that his father would come through the doors anytime soon, but he didn't. His heart broke, but he managed to put on a fake smile.

A green terrible terror landed on his head, begging for attention. He chuckled and pulled the terror down in his arms, scratching his chin. It purred in delight of his soft and gentle touch.

"Looks like someone wants to come with us, huh bud?" Hiccup chuckled, patting the night fury's head as he saddled up. He buttoned up his coat so he wouldn't catch a cold, and placed the now sleeping orange and green terror in his lap. He pulled the basket further up on his shoulders and secured his items to the saddle and himself. Then he turned to his friends and the village.

"I guess I'll see you in a few years then," The villagers cheered for their heir, watching him take off north of Berk.

Astrid watched him fly away slowly. Already she could feel her heart breaking, and it had only been a few seconds.


	67. Chapter 67

"Painful message. PAINFUL MESSAGE!" Snotlout yelled, running into the academy with a green and orange terrible terror biting his forearm. It had already been two weeks since they last heard of Hiccup, personally. They sent a terrible terror to him and waited for so long until it finally came back. Astrid practically squealed out loud, running over to him and pulled the terror of his arm with no mercy. Snotlout screamed in pain, holding his 'injured' arm.

"No love for the guy who came with the letter?!" Snotlout shouted, receiving a death glare from both Astrid and Fishlegs. Astrid held the terrible terror up as Fishlegs untied the note and opened it.

 _Hey gang,_

 _So... I'm not really the letter guy, but I just wanted to know what was going on back in Berk. It's gotten a bit boring over here with training each day and lessons after wards but I'll manage. I was wondering how Gobber and my father was doing? Mind asking for me? As you know, my father and I didn't really have a great talk the day before I had to leave, I'm just worried._

 _Yours Sincerely,_

 _H.H.H III_

"We should show this to the chief," Fishlegs said, looking at Astrid.

"Show what?" Tuffnut asked, looking at his sister. Astrid groaned, pushing him down to the ground. "Aaahh, THAT. Nah, I don't know what you're talking about," He stood up, but seconds later tackled back down by his sister.

"We're talking about the letter, dumbass," Snotlout said, mounting Hookfang and took off to the Great Hall with the others.

The last two weeks had been uneventful; nothing had really happened on Berk other than the academy training wild dragons and got rid of a whispering death. Other than that, it had been quiet. No attacks or threats from Alvin since they last saw him or heard his voice that could easily be compared with a yak in its period of voice change.

They landed outside the great hall and left their dragons outside before they walked in to look for the chief. As expected, they found him by the huge fire pit, drinking some mead with his buddies. Looks like he was in a good mood. The teens walked over to him, earning the attention of the brawny Vikings. Stoick looked down at them questioningly, placing his mead down on the table.

"This came for us," Astrid paused, giving the letter to him. "But mostly for you," Stoick took the letter, and turned around, laying it down on the table as he read it. I'm just worried, Stoick muttered the last three words of the letter. He sighed, thinking of a decision. He missed his son pretty much too, even if they had argued the last time. Somehow, he knew Hiccup would eventually forgive him, but he hadn't expected him to already become worried. Sure, Hiccup hadn't told him he missed him, yet, but the three last words said it without the particular words. That he missed him. Stoick turned around, giving the letter for Gobber to read, since he was a part of it too.

"I guess we'll all be writing a letter. You teens go on. I need some time to think," The chief said, grabbing his mead and sat on the table. The teens nodded and took the letter once Gobber finished reading it, and left the Great Hall. Stoick sighed, looking down at the floor. He was disappointed in himself for not being there to say goodbye or for harming his son again. He thought he had managed to control his anger, but he was wrong. He needed someone to teach him.

"Don't ya worry old friend. Hiccup has forgiven you, we both know that," Gobber assured him, patting his shoulder.

"How can you be so sure? I…," He trailed off.

"Because I know Hiccup. He's not the person to hold a grudge against someone. Especially not family," Gobber took a zip of his mead, waiting for a response from his friend.

"I…hurt him, Gobber. Again. I wasted our last goodbye and now I won't be able to see him for three straight years," Stoick paused. He took a deep breath and turned to his friend seriously. "I need you to tell me more about Hiccup. The last few years… I've been too…you know."

"Ignorant?" Gobber asked, noticing he had troubled with letting the word out. Stoick nodded sadly. "Don't worry, I'll teach you whatever you need to know," Gobber began walking away. "Let's start with the forge,"

"As you can see, our little Hiccup is quite the genius," Gobber chuckled, looking at the wall of sketches he had left behind. Stoick was in awe. Many times had he seen the sketches but he had always thought Gobber made most of them. Especially those they used in the war.

"Your right about that," Stoick said, not once taking his eyes off the wall. Gobber leaned against the table and sighed.

"There are a lot of things you need to know about him," Gobber started. Stoick looked at him before leaning against the other side of the room by the wall.

"Tell me, and don't leave anything behind," Gobber nodded.

"I know, all of those years before the peace between Viking and dragon came, you thought Hiccup was weak and scrawny. Incapable of doing anything with a weapon, even a dagger," Stoick nodded sadly, "But, that's not true," Stoick looked at him confused. "He's pretty handy with anything that needs concentration and calm nerves for. Like a bow," Stoick chuckled.

"Kind of figured that out. After all, he did shoot down a Night Fury."

"Yeah. Anyways, when it comes to remembering things, Hiccup is the best for all I know," Stoick swallowed hard. "But he's also a person to forgive easily, as I've mentioned. If anyone were to do something or say something bad to him, he could easily forgive them. Just like he did with you and the other teens," Stoick stood up straight with a serious face.

"What do you mean 'the other teens'," This time, it was Gobber's turn to swallow hard.

"They…well…they sort of…used to… beat him," He looked at Stoick who had his eyes wide.

"They did?" Gobber nodded, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"Mostly the twins and Snotlout. Astrid and Fishlegs would just watch or sometimes give him some bad words to think of. How did you else think he got the title Hiccup the useless?" Stoick sighed, leaning back against the wall.

"How come I never notice?" He whispered, but loud enough for Gobber to hear.

"Hiccup begged me not to tell you. He said it would only make him more of a disappointment than he already was. As you can see, there's a lot you don't know about him and a lot you need to know," Stoick nodded and continued listening.

* * *

Astrid and her friends sat in a ring with the letter in the center. Everyone stared at it in hope to get inspiration. Astrid already knew what she wanted to tell him, since she had so much she wanted to talk about. Now she just tried to help them out.

"Why don't you guys write about…uhm…," Astrid trailed off.

"Exactly, you don't know either," Snotlout complained, falling to the ground in frustration.

"You could write about your daily basis! Like, Snotlout, you could write about your chief training and Fishlegs, you could write about new dragons and new facts!" Fishlegs squealed with joy, grabbing the piece of paper by his feet and the charcoal beside it, writing down everything he knew about the dragons they had newly encountered and learned about.

"What about us?" The twins asked in unison.

"Stop saying what I'm saying, NOW!" Tuffnut shouted, tackling her sister to the ground.

"You're the one copying me!" Ruffnut yelled back, taking the advantage of him and punched him. Astrid groaned, grabbing her piece of paper and charcoal and started writing. They would roll them together once everyone had written what they wanted.

A few hours passed and everyone was finally finished with their part of the letter. Most of the time they had to either wait or help the twins with their spelling errors and not to mention the inspiration. Eventually, they decided to mention every time they hurt one another or blew up something in the village.

Fishlegs took the letters and rolled them together, tying it around his terrible terror and got ready to send it away.

"Wait! Shouldn't we bring the chief's letter too?" Astrid stopped him.

"I forgot. Let's find him," They mounted their dragons and flew out of the academy in search for their chief. There were noises coming from the forge, not pounding or burning noises. But voices. Astrid landed with the others at the same time the chief and his right handed Viking left the forge.

"Chief! We're ready to send the letter to Hiccup. We just came by to get yours," Astrid said, pointing to the terrible terror. Stoick mentally facepalmed. He had forgotten all about the letter. "You go ahead. I'll send mine later," Stoick said, watching as the terrible terror was let free. The truth was that he didn't plan on sending it. At least not yet.


	68. Chapter 68

3 years later

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third," Hiccup walked forward, kneeling down on one knee with his head down to show the chieftess some respect and his right hand in a fist against his chest. Camicazi stood behind him, a few steps back, smiling like an idiot. Hiccup tried his best not to laugh at her childishness since he could hear the giggles coming from her.

"For the last three years, you've brought peace between the Bog-Burglars and the dragons, helped us train them, helped us bond with them. For that, we are grateful. If the Berkians would need assistance at any time, we are there for you, as your allies," Bertha unsheathed her sword, placing it by his left shoulder.

"May the Gods in Asgard be with you on your journey as a leader, and as a Viking," The sword moved over his head and rested on his right shoulder. You are now graduated with honor and knowledge, from your chief training," Hiccup stood up once the sword was back in its place, looking up at the chieftess and bowed.

"Thank you," He whispered gratefully, and walked back to stand next to Camicazi.

"Let us honor our future chiefs of the Bog-Burglars and the hairy hooligan tribe," The crowd around them cheered in applause, yelling the younger ones names. The two smiled at each other, fist bumping once before bowing to the crowd.

"We made it," Camicazi said, proud of not only herself but also Hiccup. He doubted he would pull through after the first session, but a while later, he managed to hold on.

"Yeah," Hiccup breathed out, smiling like an idiot.

"Party will be held in the Great Hall!" The chieftess announced to the cheering crowd. Hiccup sighed at the announcement. It was then he knew he would be allowed to go back home. One would have been excited after so many years, staying away from Berk, but not Hiccup. No. He was nervous and scared of what his fellow Berkians would say, but mostly his father. He hadn't heard from his friends in two years and it had been three years since his father even talked to him. As he had expected, his father didn't send any letters. Which made Hiccup nervous of meeting him again, considering them having argued last time they saw each other.

With his friends not sending him letters, made him curious. He had waited excitedly for the next letter, but it never came. He sent his terrible terror back to Berk, but it never came back. Neither did Fishlegs' terror come. If it was possible, he would've sent a terrible terror until they wrote back, but since he didn't have any other terror from Berk; he was unable to do so.

The burglars were making their way towards their Great Hall where the party would be held. Camicazi followed for a few seconds before her mother came over to her. Toothless nuzzled his rider, showing off his gums. Hiccup chuckled, scratching his best friend's chin.

Camicazi came over to them, her happiness faded somewhere in the distance and all that was left was the sadness. She pulled him in for a tight, friendly hug.

"I guess this is it," She sniffled, pulling away with her hands resting on his shoulders.

"I guess it is," Hiccup sighed, giving her a sad smile.

"Come on, I'll help you with your stuff," She said, pulling him towards their house. Camicazi didn't want him to feel all alone in a house by himself, even though he had a dragon, so she managed to convince him to stay with her to keep both of them with company.

They reached their house a few minutes later, after having pulled Hiccup most of the way from their training ring where the announcement was held. Toothless waited outside, playing with her dragon, Starlight. A white, but mostly yellow, nadder. The two had gotten close as friends and played each day to entertain themselves while their riders were training all day long.

Hiccup and Camicazi walked upstairs to their bedroom with two empty baskets. They turned Hiccup's side of the room upside down, pulling everything over to the baskets so they could sort them out. Hiccup kneeled down by one basket, placing some layers of clothes before filling it with some of his notebooks and then another layer of clothes.

"So…," Hiccup began.

"So… Are you ready to meet your father again?" Camicazi asked. Hiccup had told her about his life back on Berk and how his father finally had accepted him again, only to argue once more. She practically knew everything by now.

"I….I don't know," He sighed. "What if he doesn't accept me? What if he picks Snotlout as chief instead?" Camicazi kneeled down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder as he let out a shaky breath.

"He will accept you, and from what you've told me about Snotlout, he won't be dreaming to even make him acting chief for five minutes," Hiccup chuckled, smiling.

"I guess you're right," He put his boot in his basket, closing it, and starting on the next with half of the other stuff. His expression changed back to his sad one once he thought about his friends.

"What's wrong?" Camicazi asked.

"It's nothing," Hiccup said, giving her a smile but she didn't believe him. "Fine… I'm just thinking about my friends back on Berk. They haven't replied to my letter in two years. Two years. What if they forgot about me? What if-

"Hiccup! Stop with those 'what if' okay? They're your friends. They would never, and I'm saying never, forget about you," She almost shouted. Hiccup nodded with a sigh and continued packing his stuff until he was finally done. They walked downstairs to find Camicazi's mother, standing there with a basket.

"There you two are," Bertha said, opening the basket.

"Hey mom," Camicazi greeted her before noticing the basket. "What's this?" She asked, examining the basket closely.

"I found these old capes and some clothing that I thought Hiccup's friends may like," Hiccup walked over, looking at the fur in the chieftess' hand. He gasped in awe, tracing his fingers across the fur.

"It's beautiful," He gasped.

"I thought Astrid may like them since they no longer fit me. Take them as a gift from us to them," She said proudly.

"Thank you. I'm sure they would love them," Hiccup said, accepting the gift as he closed the basket. He took on his safety gear, leather gloves that had small iron bits in the palm to keep it hard. He invented the gloves incase Alvin would ever decide to use the whip again by blocking the hit with the gloves. They were also pretty handy when it came to flying Toothless. The saddle was easier to hang onto whenever they reached high speed. He made sure his safety gear was on before taking on his black cloak. It had fur on the inside to keep him warm whenever he needed it, and a hood with fur on its edges that could come in handy some time later, though he preferred to leave it be.

Camicazi helped him with his baskets outside and waited for Toothless to come. When he finally did, he let his rider strap two of the baskets on each side of the saddles and left one on the ground until they had both said their goodbyes.

"Thank you so much for the entire training chief. I appreciate it," Hiccup said to the chieftess.

"You're welcome Hiccup. I should be thanking you for stopping our war in only a few hours," The three of them chuckled.

"Well, the world is better when it's peace," The chief nodded with a smile.

"I'll visit you in a few years," Camicazi said, pulling him in for a hug.

"I'm looking forward to it already," Hiccup smiled, wrapping his strong arms around her. Did I forget to mention Hiccup's new style? Thought so.

Hiccup's not the same person he was three years ago. Sure he's still the sarcastic, one-legged dork as everyone knew him for, but his appearance changed for the better as some would say. Hiccup would mostly say his hair and height was the only thing that changed over the past few years, but the people of the Bog-burglar tribe said more. After constantly training day and night, he had gained muscles everywhere, but he wasn't the brawny type, and who knew? Maybe he would never be. While most of the Viking's were brawny, Hiccup was brainy, and that was an advantage for one who grows up to become a leader even though he already was. Now, the 19 year old Viking was taller than before, his hair longer, a perfectly unshaved stubble showing on his chin and up his jaw line, and his muscled body.

Toothless came back a few minutes later with Starlight and sat down by his rider.

"I'll visit when I can," Hiccup said. He was never the type of person who knew how to say goodbye. Instead, he hugged them, thanked them and flew towards the Island of Berk. Also known to be his home.


	69. Chapter 69

"Do you see that bud?" Hiccup asked, pointing forward with narrowed eyes. Toothless roared eyes wide. He took an unexpected turn, flying in the opposite direction. Hiccup gripped the saddle tightly, letting out a yelp as they turned to fly a little away from the glowing light. It was in the middle of the night, stars shining above them and the moon glowing beautifully. Hiccup leaned forward in the saddle, his eyes narrowing even more. That was when he spotted it. He knew he would be reaching Berk any time soon, and once his eyes caught the sight of his Island, he gasped.

Berk was burned down in ashes and by the docks settled a too familiar armada.

Alvin.

That was all Hiccup could think of when he saw the outcast's crest.

Alvin had invaded his home, no; he had burned his home to ashes. And for all he knew, he could have burned down the Berkians too. Hiccup's blood boiled in anger. His home. His people. His friends. His family. All burned to ashes. The only thing left standing was the academy and the great hall, but the signs and symbols were no longer the calm looking ones. Now they were either torn to pieces or replaced with the red crest of the outcasts and grey fabric in the back ground.

Torches were lit everywhere, making it look as if it was a special day where everyone would light up a lantern for either a person or the gods above to show respect and gratefulness. But one could see by the torches it wasn't a normal occasion. Instead, the torches were lit in the hands of outcasts roaming the streets to guard each and every possible escape for anyone. It was practically impossible to get through the streets without being spotted by the new security.

Hiccup patted Toothless' head towards the mountains where they were three years back when he ran away from his father only the day before he had to leave for his training. They decided not to do any short cuts because it would only increase the chance of being seen or shot down. Toothless landed unseen in the opening of the cave, a perfect location to look over Berk, and let his rider dismount him. Hiccup patted his head, taking off the baskets and laying them behind a wall. He opened one of the baskets and pulled out his newly made spyglass, since he found out he forgot to bring one and made a new, and laid down on the ground to observe the village. Toothless warbled, making a questioning sound.

"We have to make a plan," Hiccup said, resting his upper body on his elbows and held the spyglass to his left eye and the other closed. "I can barely see the academy from here, but it looks like there's someone- wait a minute," Hiccup narrowed his eyes, moving a little over the edge to look. He gasped.

"There are people in the dragon pens," Toothless looked towards the academy and back to Hiccup worried. "I know bud. We have to get them out of there," Hiccup looked over at his dragon with a determinate expression. He was willing to do anything to get the Berkians out of the hands of the enemy. Anything.

"There doesn't seem to be any dragons around. Do you sense some?" Toothless looked out over Berk, sniffing the air, but shook his head sadly afterwards. "I guess it's just you and me bud," Hiccup stood up, walking over to the baskets and pulled out his notebook. Toothless followed closely, lying down behind his rider to see what he planned on doing next. "Okay, here's what we're going to do."

* * *

"Care to tell us where we can find your precious dragon boy now?" Alvin spat, holding the knife threateningly against Stoick's throat.

"Never…in a lifetime," Stoick breathed out, wincing as the knife pierced his jawline. After the outcasts took over the island, he and the other dragon riders were taken to the great hall under interrogation.

Two times a week, they would be fed with food to keep themselves with enough energy to hang on through the whole interrogation each and every day. Three times if they were lucky. But this far, they hadn't been fed in a week. Their energy was weak, but they wouldn't give themselves in. For so long, they had been tortured and starved, anything the outcasts could really think of, but they stayed loyal to their hero and waited patiently on that day he would return to reclaim their land.

No one knew exactly for how long they had been locked away in the cages or been slaves for the treacherous chief. All they know was that it had been a few years, but how many was still a little mystery for them.

Stoick feared for the day his son would come back, unlike the other Berkians who kept their hopes up until that day. He feared what Alvin may do to him once he came back. He feared that if they pulled through, he would ignore him like he ignored his son almost his whole life.

Luckily, Gobber wasn't with them. Alvin and his men had no idea what connection he had with Hiccup and therefore left him with the other villagers by the academy. He was taking care of the women and children along with some men, to make sure they would get enough food and water.

"Take these teenagers down to the ring. I'm going to have a word with the chief," Alvin ordered his men, not once leaving eye contact with Stoick. The guards obeyed, tying the teen's necks and hands together in a long one-pieced chain.

"Get moving!" A guard shoved Fishlegs, making him stumble a little forward, but he eventually managed to remain balanced. The great hall doors were opened, revealing the long stairs that lead towards the ashes of houses and small weapons and belongings buried underneath it.

The teens sighed, walking with their heads low. They knew if one of them tripped, all of them would, and if that were to happen they would get a punishment. But something had given them hope. Not only that Hiccup would be able to save them all and get rid of the outcasts. No. They had gotten their hopes up whenever Alvin shouted or commanded his men around. They weren't the loyal, unafraid guards like the Berkians would be towards their chief. They were afraid. Afraid every time they did a mistake, was shouted at and ordered around like a blind yak being guided around by someone else. That could be used as an advantage. As a sign of freedom. All they had to do was find out how and when they would figure a way out.


	70. Chapter 70

Toothless's ears perked up. He slowly stood up, looking over the village towards the sound. He had heard right. The great hall closed and out came a row of people getting dragged somewhere by some guards. Toothless let out a growl, feeling a hand on his head.

"What is it bud?" Hiccup asked, holding up his spyglass. He searched through the village, seeing shadows by a corner that lead to a bridge towards the academy. "Come on. Let's check it out," He mounted his dragon and flew up in the air, towards Gothi's hut. They landed a few seconds later, and

Hiccup dismounted quickly to get a view of what he saw. He lay down to take cover and looked down through the glass. His eyes searched the ground from above and then he saw the shadows. He could barely make out anything because of the dark, but managed to find out what it was. It was people walking towards the academy in what looked like…chains.

"This has gone too far," Hiccup gasped, standing up. He put the spyglass in his satchel, his dark hood over his head and mounted his dragon. "Time to set our plan in action," Toothless growled in agreement and took out, letting out his biggest screech to make sure he would be heard. Then they charged.

* * *

"Now…Where were we? Oh, right," Alvin smirked, slicing Stoick's right cheek. Stoick winced, closing his eyes for a few seconds. "You know, if you just tell me where he is, I will leave."

"I'm never going to say anything as long as I live," Alvin frowned, turning around.

"We could have been allies, Stoick," Alvin began.

"We could have, but that would've been crazy considering the things you've done," Stoick pointed out.

"Maybe," Alvin paused, "But banning someone for a mistake is quite harsh don't you think? After all, shouldn't you have banned that runt of yours?" Alvin laughed, turning to face the chief. Stoick parted his lips to reply, but closed the gap when he couldn't find anything to say. He was speechless.

"That's what I thought," He walked over to the table next to him where different weapons rested. His eyes scanned the weapons, moving from a nipper to a dagger, a knife to a machete, and lastly the sword to the whip. Alvin's sick laugh echoed through the whole hall as his hands traced the leather of the whip. "All you have to do is tell me where the dragon conqueror is and it will all be over," Alvin repeated.

"Get it in your…thick head!" Stoick shouted with all his remaining strength. "I will never tell you, anything."

"Alright then," Alvin picked up the weapons by its handle and turned around, gathering all the force he could with a sharp turn, and connected it with Stoick's body. The whip burned his skin ten times worse than hot metal. His clothes tearing up and attaching to his wounds, getting soaked by the blood as the whip hit once more.

CRACK!

"TWO!"

CRACK!

"THREE!"

CRACK!

"FOUR!"

CRACK!

"FIVE!"

Alvin lowered the weapon by his side. The blood running down the tip of the whip and down to the floor. "Care to tell me now?" Stoick glared at him, breathing heavily to ease the pain. "You can't keep this up forever, Stoick! I will have my answers. I always do," Alvin spat, raising the weapon once again, but before he could bring it down, they heard a screech.

Stoick eyes widened. He would recognize the sound from anywhere. It was a dragon, but not just any dragon. The only dragon left known to be alive. A Night Fury. Alvin's wide eyes narrowed in realization.

"Finally," Alvin said determinate. He laid the whip back in its rightful place and turned towards the door.

"Get back here Alvin! I won't let you take him from me!" Stoick screamed, thrashing and turning, struggling to break free. Alvin only laughed.

"There's nothing you can do about it now," Alvin called out, unsheathing his sword from his belt and walked through the doors out of sight.

* * *

The screech echoed through the whole Island. All eyes looked into the sky, stopping whatever they were doing. Both Outcasts and Berkians. The guards holding the chains of the teens almost dropped it as their mouths went wide open and eyes glued to the sky. The teens looked at each other, their lips forming a smile. They knew who it was. Suddenly, the guards yanked on the chain, making them run towards the academy.

Hiccup gripped the handle of the saddle harder as they dived towards the streets of Berk. Outcast guards held their weapons up in front of them as the night fury swooped down towards them, charging a small plasma blast that was enough to knock them out. Toothless let out the charged plasma blast on the four guards, Hiccup pulling up in the last second before they swooped down again in the next street.

They charged, knocked out guards, flew up and repeated until they were sure all the guards were out. "Okay bud, remember our plan?" Toothless growled, nodding. "Alright, let's do this," Hiccup steered the saddle to the right, making them fly towards the academy. He narrowed his eyes to see guards surrounding it and someone getting pushed into the dragon pens. From his point of view, he noticed that it wasn't more than a pen. The walls separating the dragon pens from each other were knocked down. The doors replaced with metal bars. But not only that. The chains that used to cover the academy as some sort of roof, was removed. Hiccup didn't complain though. It only made his plans even easier to accomplish.

SWOOSH!

A bola came out of nowhere, wrapping around Toothless's tail.

SWOOSH!

Another bola came out of nowhere, wrapping around both Hiccup and Toothless's body. Toothless screeched in fear, trying to spread his wings so the rope would break, but to no avail. "Everything will be okay Toothless," Hiccup assured him, right before the two crashed in the middle of the academy. Hiccup was thrown of the saddle, crashing into a wall before he fell to the ground. He groaned, clutching his head.

"Not the best landing," He muttered, shaking his head and stood up. Before he looked up, he made sure his hood was still over his head. Toothless roared, trying to bite the ropes off of him, but they were out of reach. Outcasts were drawing their weapons, getting ready to attack the intruders, but Hiccup managed to reach his dragon before them and cut the ropes with his own sword. Toothless growled at the approaching outcasts, copying Hiccup's defensive mode.

The Outcasts surrounded them, moving slowly closer to them, but then they all charged at once. Hiccup backed up towards Toothless, waiting for the right time to strike. An Outcast stood in a sword's reach, and Hiccup ducked, tackling the man before running on the next guard. In the corner of his eye, he saw bola trappers surrounding the arena and shooting the bola's at them. Hiccup and Toothless dodged most of them.

Three bolas trapped Toothless's body, leaving Hiccup alone to stand by the outcasts. Seeing this, he dropped his sword, arms in the air. He surrendered.

Little did they know, he had another sword.


	71. Chapter 71

Two guards dropped their sword and approached him with a rope. One of them kicked him to the ground, making him grunt in pain, and the other tied his hands behind his back. As one of the guards was about to pull off his hood, a voice stopped him.

"What is going on here?!" Alvin yelled, pushing his way through the crowd of people. His cold eyes landed on the dark hooded man. "Who is this?" Alvin yelled at his men. The outcast's winced, taking a step back in fear. All except one.

"W-we shot the n-night fury down along with its rider," Savage's voice trembled in fear as the man stepped up beside Alvin. Both his hands holding tightly onto his dragon bone nervously. Alvin looked around, searching for the night fury. Only a year back had they take wrong of a nadder and a night fury. Alvin was so mad that he made them each rotten cod for a week straight. The crowd surrounding them stepped away to reveal a night fury wrapped up in bolas. Alvin's eyes narrowed, recognizing the dragon, but when he looked at the man kneeled down in front of him, and he was yet again left confused.

"Then who is this?" Alvin boomed, pointing his sword towards the man in the dark hood.

"I-I don't know, sire," Savage said, stepping back. "W-we were just about to…find out," Alvin glared at him.

"Then what are you waiting for?!" Savage ran forward, his whole body trembling in fear. He grabbed the hood and pulled it off with ease, revealing a teenager with shaggy auburn hair who held his head low. Alvin grabbed the boy's jaw, forcing him to look up at him. He looked deep into the emerald green eyes, knowing he had seen them before. His eyes met the night fury's and then back to the boy. "Soil my bridges," Alvin muttered. All eyes were on him. "Look who decided to show up. After all these years. You're good to hide; I'll give you that," Alvin spat, telling his men to step back.

"I haven't been hiding," Hiccup said, slicing the ropes with his hidden sword and stood up with the sword in front of him. "I've been training."

"Are you challenging me boy?" Alvin smirked, pointing his sword at the boy. Hiccup chuckled a little unsure.

"More likely, yes," Alvin broke out laughing and so did the outcast audience.

"He's challenging me!" Alvin yelled, wiping a few tears from his eyes. His laugh faded, but his smirk didn't leave. "Well, well. Let's get this over with then. After all, it shouldn't take too long," The outcasts agreed, clearing the ring.

"You really shouldn't underestimate me," Hiccup assured the treacherous chief, walking a little to the side. The two started walking in circles, their swords drawn as they waited for the other to attack.

"Oh really?" Alvin smirked.

"Really," Then Alvin charged with a battle cry. He was getting sick of Hiccup's big mouth. He just wanted to end the boy's life right then. Two years ago, he wanted him to train his dragons to conquer Berk, but now, he already had. All the dragon conqueror was to him was a useless little pest who stood in his way.

Alvin's sword lunged at Hiccup, but the boy ducked and tripped him, sending him to the floor. The Berkians by the cage chuckled along with Hiccup as Alvin struggled to get back up. Alvin got furious and charged at Hiccup, only to have him duck again.

"Stop messing around and face me like a man!" Alvin growled, standing up.

"I could, but I'm only nineteen years old which means I still have a year of being a teen-woah," Hiccup jumped up as Alvin went for his feet-erhm, foot. He bounced up high, bringing his own sword flat down on Alvin's helmet and jumped over the chief's head as he crumbled to the ground.

"Talk all you want. This may be your last chance of doing so!" Alvin yelled, supporting his body on his sword.

"You may get a headache before I'm finished talking, but your orders are for me to fulfill," Hiccup bowed dramatically, with his sword behind his back and his free on his chest.

"Oh you little," Alvin stood up slowly, shaking his head a little to get rid of the dizziness.

"Aww…Is the big Alvin the treacherous…mad?" Hiccup laughed, leaning on his sword a couple of feet away, inspecting his nails in boredom. His plan was going just as expected.

The Berkians were staring at him in wonder. It was amazing how he could be so calm at a time like this. If anyone were to fight Alvin themselves, they would have been focused and angry. Hiccup on the other hand, didn't have either of those emotions.

"That's it," Alvin yelled, running over to a wall where weapons hung. He dropped his sword and grabbed a spear and a handful of daggers. "Let's see how well you dodge things," Hiccup looked up just in time to see Alvin throwing a dagger towards him. He ducked, looking back at the wall on the dagger that almost sliced his head in two.

"Come on. You're not going to kill me are you?" Hiccup asked as if it was the most normal thing someone could say.

"No, because I just realized I don't have any more use for you," Alvin growled, throwing another dagger on him. Hiccup dodged it easily.

"What happened to," Hiccup paused, clearing his throat, "Train me dragon's boy?" He asked, imitating Alvin's voice.

"No need anymore. I already have what I wanted," Another dagger was thrown but dodged once again.

"I see," Hiccup paused, putting his hand up to his chin in a thinking position, leaning a little against the wall behind him. "You have what you want, but do you have what they want?" Hiccup asked, gesturing to Alvin's men who looked at their chief for a respond.

"I'm getting there," Alvin growled once again throwing another dagger.

"You're getting there? Oh please, don't make me laugh," Hiccup pointed out, jumping to the left. "Then why don't you fill me in on the plan? I am after all, as you say, going to die," Alvin grunted in annoyance, dropping the last dagger and picked up a whip. Hiccup's eyes widened at the weapon but narrowed once again when he noticed he had his gloves on.

"How do I know you won't haunt my plans when you're gone?" Alvin asked, walking closer to the other as Hiccup did the same.

"You don't," Hiccup smirked, holding his sword in his left hand. He tightened the grip on the handle as Alvin raised the whip high and stroke with ease. Automatically, Hiccup dropped the sword and gripped the whip in midair, wrapping it around his forearm and pulled it out of Alvin's unfocused hand and threw it to the ground. Alvin was caught off-guard as he stumbled a little forward, getting a knee in his stomach and an elbow in his neck. He collapsed to the ground, groaning as he clutched his stomach.

The audience gasped. Alvin was getting beat up by a hiccup.

"Look at this! I could do this in my sleep," Hiccup chuckled, turning to the crowd. "This man doesn't care about you, he never has. All he wanted was revenge. Isn't that right Alvin?" He turned around to look down at Alvin, but he wasn't there.

"Not this time," Alvin charged at Hiccup from behind with a battle cry. Hiccup had little time to react before the whip was striking towards him. Without thinking twice, he brought up his uncovered left hand and screamed in pain once the leather connected with his palm. His knees gave out beneath him as he supported his injured hand that held tightly onto the whip with his right. Hiccup's weak hands were no match for Alvin's as he pulled the whip out of Hiccup's hand, burning his hand in the process, and threw it a distance away. Alvin kicked him in the guts, sending him to the ground.

Hiccup clutched his hand tightly to his chest, trying to stop it from bleeding any further. Come on Hiccup. You can't give up now. Everyone is counting on you, his mind screamed at him. And his mind was right. Everyone was counting on him. The Berkians who was watching his every move. The dragons where ever they were. His friends behind those bars. And his father where only Thor would know if he was in safety or not. They all counted on him to win over Alvin. If only I can make sure the Berkians gets free, Hiccup thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Alvin holding his spear with both his hands. He was going to stab him. Right before the spear was brought down, he rolled away and as the spear connected with the ground, he pulled it out, rolled back and kept his balance. The throbbing pain his hand didn't mean anything as long as his future people was in danger. He would go through whatever plans, whatever pain, Alvin had planned for him. All he had to do was assure both himself and the village that they had a way of stopping the invasion whether he was dead or not. He would do anything for them.

"You just won't give up will you?" Alvin spat, circling Hiccup.

"Never in a life time," Hiccup replied confident.

"You know. You and your father are really much alike, considering what you told me on my ship back to Outcast Island," Alvin smirked, knowing Hiccup would remember, and he did. He remembers what he told Alvin when he first met him. When Alvin had told him that he knew his father. He remembered the exact words.

" _He's not my father, not anymore."_

The words stung like a thousand knives to the heart. Thinking back, he couldn't believe he had said that. Sure, he was mad at his father and all, but still. Stoick was his family no matter what would happen. One can never escape their relatives no matter how much they try. And he regretted ever shouting or arguing with his father. All his life, had he wanted to be accepted by the village and also his father, and now that he finally got that, he pushed him away from him. And only for silly little things. But that also made him wonder. Where was his father? What had happened to Mildew?

"Well, whatever I said is something I regret right now," Hiccup growled, backing away towards the walls. He had a new plan, but to accomplish that one, he had to get the keys. Looking around he looked for any sign of keys. Shining metal caught his eyes as Alvin charged at him with his sword. Not before now, had he noticed the sun already rising above them. The sun reflected in Alvin's sword as the man lunged at Hiccup, but this time he didn't strike once. Alvin recovered quickly from his first blow and threw another one only seconds later, taking Hiccup off guard. The sword deeply sliced Hiccup across his right eye, ending a little over his eyebrow. Hiccup winced at the throbbing pain as the blood covered his right eye, making him unable to see clearly.

"Is that all you've got?" Hiccup chuckled, holding his right eye.

"Why? Tired already?" Hiccup glared at him. "Alright then, looks like I have to take this to the next level," Alvin got ready to strike with his sword but Hiccup ran to Alvin's left. "Stop running and get back here!" Alvin shouted, but before he could grab Hiccup's cloak, the boy ran faster and threw the spear with all his ease only a few inches away from Alvin's left waist side. "You missed," Alvin laughed.

"Did I?" Hiccup smirked, running towards Alvin. Alvin held his sword up high, getting ready to finish him up when Hiccup suddenly slid between his legs and continued running towards the other side of arena where the spear was pinned to the wall. Alvin's eyes widened as he noticed the shining metal hanging from the spear. Hiccup had gotten the keys.

"Give those back! Or I'll-

"Or you'll what? Kill me? I thought that plan was already in action. Well, well. Looks like I'm mistaken," Hiccup said, keeping the keys in his injured hand. He pulled out the daggers next to the spear as he continued talking. "You know what I learned while I was away?" Hiccup began.

"Nothing could possible get into that head of yours," Alvin chuckled.

"Much can actually," Hiccup pointed out, "Anyways. I learned some secrets," He paused, pulling the last dagger out of the wall and.

"And why would I be interested in knowing that?" Alvin asked bored.

"Because those secrets were about you," Alvin's eyes went wide as he looked at Hiccup suddenly interested. Alvin was too caught up in the conversation that he didn't take much notice of Hiccup walking towards the cages with one of his hands behind his back.

"And what secrets could I possibly be having?" Alvin asked, narrowing his eyes a little to make him look more confident.

"Let's see. How you make your food, what your underwear is, and the facts that you've been kidnapping innocent children for as long as you've been banned from Berk," Hiccup growled at the last sentence. He didn't look behind him as he felt the daggers and the keys get pulled out of his hands. "Open the cage when I give you the signal," Hiccup whispered, paying little attention to Alvin approaching him. "Don't you dare-

"Oh I dare. But why don't you just tell them yourselves," Hiccup's voices shifted from a whisper to calling out to everyone watching the two in the ring from the outside. "Why don't you tell them how you kidnapped them from their families and burned their homes to ashes just so you could make your own tribe to get your revenge on my father?" Alvin ran towards Hiccup in anger, lifting his sword high. But Hiccup dodged the blow and ran to his left where the spear stuck out of the wall, hearing the sword hit the metal bars with ease. Hiccup looked up to see a guard not too far out of reach from the spear. He picked up more speed and jumped, landing on the spear. He used the bounce from the spear and flew up in the air, grabbed two shields out of the nearest outcasts and landed back down on the ground.

Everyone stared in amazement. Even Alvin. For a second he forgot about the dilemma at hand, but his focus went back to it once Hiccup continued.

"Tell them," Hiccup shouted, dropping one of the shields and held the other in his good hand. "Tell them how you burned their family alive. Tell them how you kidnapped them to live on an island, grow up to be savages and follow your dirty lead. You've killed thousands of people. Extinct hundreds of tribes and for what? Power? Is that what you really want?" Alvin roared, not responding, only charging. He pinned Hiccup to the ground, only having a shield separating them from each other. Hiccup tried to push him off of him but to no avail. The pressure was intense on Hiccup's chest, making him gasp for air. Out of nowhere, something, no, someone blocked the sun out of their eyes, making it darker than before.

"Is this true?" An angry voice said, gritting his teeth. Alvin looked up, keeping less pressure on Hiccup's body. There stood Savage along with a few men, all pointing their crossbows on…him. Not Hiccup, but Alvin. Suddenly, Alvin was yanked off of Hiccup, letting him finally breathe normal again. Hiccup crawled away and stood up a few feet away from the outcasts. He looked over at the people trapped in the cages and met Gobber's eyes. He gave him a nod, signaling for him and everyone else to get. As he made his way over to Toothless, he kept his eyes locked on the outcasts. "Is it true what he said?!" Savage yelled, punching Alvin in the jaw. Alvin spit out some blood and looked up at Savage in both shock and fear.

"Savage, I can explain-

"THERE IS NOTHING TO BE EXPLAINED!" Savage's voice roared through the whole academy. "You took our families away from us and we grew up believing you saved us from some maniac, attacking our villages when the real maniac was YOU!" Savage aimed his crossbow at Alvin. "Say your goodbyes Alvin, because this will be the end of you," His finger wrapped around the trigger and before he could fire it, Alvin pushed the crossbow out of his hands and pushed him away from him. He stood up, aiming the crossbow in every direction to keep anyone from charging at him.

"I'm not the one who should say their goodbyes," Alvin said coldly. He looked at Savage once more before aiming the crossbow towards Hiccup, who had his back to them. Before anyone could do anything, he fired.


	72. Chapter 72

Hiccup had his back to the crowd, cutting the ropes off of Toothless, but he was still listening. As the last rope was lose, he went over to Toothless's head and smiled.

"We did it bud," He whispered, scratching the reptiles scaly head. Toothless purred, licking his master gently. They sat there for a few seconds, Hiccup not really paying much attention to what was going on behind him, but one sentence caught him off-guard.

"I'm not the one who should say their goodbyes," He heard Alvin say. Turning around, he looked over at them to see what was happening. What did he mean? Hiccup asked himself. He stared in horror as the crossbow was drawn away from Savage's face to his own. Then he could hear the trigger being pulled.

Toothless looked at his rider questioningly, noticing the confused expression in his face. He looked copied Hiccup's direction and stared at the man his rider had previously fought. His acid green eyes widened in horror as the weapon, the man was holding, pointed towards his rider. He looked at Hiccup who stared with wide eyes. This wasn't a part of their plan. Toothless's ears perked up at the sound of the trigger getting pulled, and he let out a roar in fear.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. The way the arrow spun in circles towards its target. The way the wind went quieter and one could no longer hear the howling of it. Everything went deadly quiet for a few seconds before anyone could register what was happening. Berkians shrieked out in horror, hoping to warn their hero before it was too late, but nothing would have been quicker than the arrow. Nothing, but a certain Night Fury.

Toothless roared in fright, supporting his whole body further on his front legs. The purple plasma building in his throat. He felt his instincts getting ready to fire the plasma blast on the arrow, but his eyes registered the people standing a couple of feet in front of him. He knew if he released the blast from the position he was in, could be dangerous. It could cause great injuries to the ones standing in that directing. In the lasts second, he stood up behind Hiccup who fell down to the ground after having supported himself on the dragon, and fired the plasma.

Hiccup stumbled backwards, his elbows catching his weight before he could crash fully to the ground. He heard the familiar sound of plasma getting released. But it wasn't the only sound he could hear. A horrific voice cried out in pain along with a grunt that sounded like someone used great strength to accomplish a task at hand. His eyes looked in front of him where the arrow was headed, but he didn't focus on that. No. He focused on the treacherous man with wide eyes, blood trailing out of his mouth with a gasp of utterly shock and pain. Alvin dropped the crossbow and stared in to nothingness. The plasma, Hiccup had previously heard, shot above his head and blew the arrow to pieces, but the blast continued forward. The blast stroke forward with great speed, pushing Alvin's body backwards and further into what had caused his painful expression. That was when he saw it. He could see the tip of a sword sticking out of the man's abdomen. One could only see the blood dripping from the sword. The blood soaking his armor and the blood leaving his mouth.

Suddenly, the sword was yanked out of Alvin's body and he collapsed to the ground, revealing Savage boiling in anger.

"Serves you right," Savage muttered, throwing the blood soaked sword beside the dead body of his previous chief. He looked up from the dead corpse and met Hiccup's eye, considering the other eye of his was still closed from the gash. Taking a quick look back, he motioned for his men to follow him as he slowly stepped forward. Hiccup stood up, looking in amazement as the outcast crowded around him. Both outside and inside the academy. "We owe you our lives," Savage began, kneeling down with his right hand on his chest and head low to show respect. The outcasts dropped their weapons and copied his actions. Everyone kneeling in the direction of Hiccup. "How can we repay you for everything you've done?" Savage looked up to the stunned Viking.

Hiccup felt something inside him. Was it Pride? No. He felt…powerful. His stunned face went calm as he walked over to Savage, placing a hand on his shoulder. At first a little unsure of doing so, in case the man would eventually jump on him and murder him right then. But after witnessing the man killing Alvin the Treacherous, he felt a little more secure.

"No need to kneel," Hiccup said, smiling a little. Savage stood up with hope and a little hint of wonder in his eyes. "You can repay us by promising to never follow in Alvin's footsteps, and from now on live in piece with the tribes around you. Including us," Hiccup removed his hand from his shoulder and held it out for him to shake. Savage smiled gratefully, accepting the offer by responding to the hand shake. Hiccup felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around he saw Gobber, standing there with the proudest smile he'd ever seen before.

"We've missed ya lad," He announced, patting his shoulder.

"It's good to be home," Hiccup said calmly, looking over Gobber shoulder to see the Berkians taking off the rest of the chains. He looked around, searching for his friends in the crowd, and found them by an outcast getting removing their chains.

"I'll be right back," Hiccup said, jogging over to them. He could hear Gobber shout his name, a hint of urge in his voice, but he didn't care. All he cared about was making sure his friends were okay. From a distance, he noticed their ripped up clothes. The fabric of their clothes a little blood stained and the bruises barely visible from beneath their clothes. They seemed to be the only ones injured. The rest of the village was rather dirty clothed.

"Hiccup!" A voice called out for him. Gods, how much he had missed that voice. "Thank Thor you're alright!" Astrid cried out, looking over at him. Not before now had he taken notice to how much she had changed. The sun reflecting in her ocean blue eyes and lighting up her blonde ash coated hair. All of them had changed in fact. They were no longer the small teenagers who could have been mistaken to be thirteen years old. Now they looked like young adults. Much taller than before. But one thing Hiccup took notice in was their body structure. They weren't as built up and strong anymore. Now they were rather thinner than before and weaker.

He ran over to her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Don't mind me. You're the one who should be worried about," Hiccup said. "Are you guys okay?" This time he talked to all the six of them.

"We're okay-

"I'm starving," Tuffnut complained, cutting her off.

"Look, I'm all sweaty and dirty. This really isn't good for my reputation," Snotlout announced, gesturing to himself.

"I just want Meatlug back," Fishlegs whined, holding his head low.

"Where are the dragons?" Hiccup asked in shock.

"They were sent of the Island to Dragon Island right before the invasion. We'll tell you everything later. Right now, you have to get to the Great Hall," Astrid explained urgently.

"What, why?"

"It's your father," She paused. Hiccup's eyes widened in realization. He had forgotten about his father for a few minutes. "We don't know what Alvin did, but it's bad. Really bad," Hiccup gasped, turning around to fetch Toothless, but someone held him back.

Astrid pulled him back with all her strength. He turned around confused, but felt soft, warm lips crash on his. They kissed passionately, Hiccup's worry fading a little but it was still there. Everything around them slowed down just like it did when the arrow was shot towards Hiccup. But this time it felt better. It felt loving and pleasurable instead of horrifying.

Hiccup was taken by surprise but soon responded to the kiss, placing his good hand on her cheek. They pulled away a few seconds later. "I've wanted to do that for a while now," Astrid smiled. Hiccup smiled at her, pecking her cheek before he started walking backwards.

"I'll be right back," And then he was off, mounting Toothless who had found him while they had their moment, and set off in top speed towards the Great Hall.


	73. Chapter 73

Stoick felt his energy fade from his body. The warmth of his blood soaking his skin. At least now he had something to keep him from freezing to death. He didn't know how long it had been since Alvin left to track down the Night Fury, and since he had heard the familiar sound of an attacking Night Fury, followed by several blasts. All he knew, that it had been a few hours and the worry of his son's safety grew for each minute. Of course, he wasn't sure if it was even his son returning, but his mind kept telling him it was because of the only remaining Night Fury that belonged to his son.

The Great Hall was dark. All the torchers were left unlighted. Just hanging by the walls, waiting to get lit by anyone. Stoick could barely remember how the Great Hall even looked like. He could barely remember the last time Alvin had lit up the hall. Usually, he would come in with his personal torch and have the pleasure of torturing him in the dark.

Suddenly, the huge doors of the Great Hall opened, revealing daylight that blinded Stoick's eyes. He tried to open his eyes several times, each time noticing a blurry black figure coming closer to him and the doors leading the light back to the outside slowly.

"Could you light it up, bud?" A familiar voice rang in Stoick's ears. He sighed in relief. "Hiccup," He breathed out quickly.

"Dad? I'm coming, just hang on a few more secon- oh gods," Hiccup stared in shock as the huge fire pit in the center of the hall lit up. Stoick was chained against one of the columns, covered in blood and bruises. Hiccup ran over to him, inspecting the chains that held his father a few inches up from the floor. "Hang on, I'll get you down," Hiccup turned to Toothless. "Plasma blast on three, bud," The dragon growled focused.

"One."

Hiccup brought his hands up, getting ready to support his father's body even with an injured hand.

"Two."

Stoick braced himself. He knew it would be difficult for him to stand after having hanged there for a few days straight. Each time he was fed, they untied him from the columns, but still had him chained.

"Three!"

Toothless fired the plasma blast on Stoick's left hand chain and jumped to the other side behind Hiccup, firing on the right one. Stoick winced in pain as Hiccup held his body up with all his strength until the second chain snapped from the blast. Toothless immediately came over to them, supporting Stoick's weight on his as they slowly walked over to one of the tables. Hiccup pushed away the plates of food and goblets of mead to the floor before he laid his father down on the table. He went to Toothless's saddle and took his satchel before he said,

"Toothless, go get help," Toothless nodded and ran out of the hall towards the academy where people were already making their way out. Hiccup opened his satchel and took out a few band aids he had with him. "Where does it hurt the most?" He asked his father, but received no answer. His father just looked at him in shock. Figuring out he wouldn't get any answer soon, he inspected the most visible gashes.

"Okay, I need you to sit up," Stoick nodded as Hiccup pulled his feet to the side and helped him sit down on the bench. Many times had he learned how to treat wounds and with the chief training, he learned even more.

"I'm sorry," His father whispered. "I'm so sorry," He repeated over and over again, staring at his son. He admired how much he had grown up. How much more responsible he looked.

"Dad," Hiccup said, trying to get his father out of some sort of trance he was in. He looked away from the deep gash on his forehead, let go of the band aid, and cupped his father's cheeks so he would look at him. "I'm the one who should be apologizing, not you," Suddenly, he felt warm, strong arms pull him forward. His father buried his head in his neck, crying out softly.

"I'm so sorry," Stoick paused. "I'm sorry for not being there for you."

"It's ok. Shh, everything will be alright," Hiccup patted his back. He had never seen his father break down like that before. He was always the brave chief who wouldn't show any emotion, barely even to his own son. But somehow it felt good. It felt good because he now knew truly how sorry his father was. And that his father still loved him. Now he can't even understand why he was nervous of coming back to him. Hiccup pulled away a few minutes later once his father calmed down.

"I need to stop your bleeding at least until the other's come here," Stoick nodded and leaned back. Hiccup took the band aid and wrapped it around his head. "I don't have anything to prevent it from getting infected."

"It's okay, I think I'll survive that," Stoick chuckled along with his son. Hiccup wrapped the last part around his head and secured it. "What happened to your eye?" Stoick asked, noticing the dried blood around it.

"Nothing bad, I hope," Hiccup chuckled nervously. "I got it while freeing the others," Stoick's eyes widened.

"The others are free?" He asked in shock.

"Yeah, everyone is free-

Hiccup was interrupted by the doors opening. Toothless ran towards them, with his tongue out happily. The two laughed at the dragon. Toothless nudged Stoick's hand and smiled up at him.

"It's good to see you too," Stoick chuckled, scratching his head. Outside they could hear loud voices cheering and soon the door opened. Vikings were walking in with smiles on their faces. Stoick tried to stand up to greet his people, but Hiccup pushed him back down.

"Nuh uh, not happening," Hiccup said, trying to keep a serious face. He too, was happy that everyone alright and well. His friends came walking over to them along with Gobber and a few outcasts.

"What are they doing here?!" Stoick growled standing up, but Hiccup pushed him down again. "Calm down! They're not going to hurt us. We've made peace with them," Hiccup said, struggling to hold his father down with one hand.

"What?" Stoick asked dumbfounded. Peace with Alvin? Stoick asked himself.

"We have a lot to tell you about," Hiccup stated, stepping to the side so the outcasts could look at his father. Stoick tensed a little at first, but then some of the Berkian's healers came and helped.

Hiccup sat down on the bench beside his father with some medicine. He dipped some cloth in a bowl of water and pressed it against his palm. The water burned his wound like hot metal. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from groaning out in pain. A shadow came over the table. Looking up he saw Gobber sitting down on the other end of the table, taking his hand with his hook.

"Let me look at that," Before Hiccup could protest, Gobber removed the cloth and looked at it.

"Looks like we're going to have to wait for the final task," Gobber said, placing a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"What final task?" Hiccup asked confused. It obviously had something to do about him, since Gobber was referring to his hand, but the question was, what did he mean?

"The final task of your chief training. Chief training consists of three parts. First part, the physical training. Second part, learning about chief business. And the third part is the one where you fight the best fighters of your village in different categories to show that you're worthy enough to become the chief and is able to defend everyone from anyone. If you succeed on winning all the points, you will be honored as the newest protector," Gobber explained.

"How come no one ever told me about this?" Hiccup asked.

"We thought it would be better to tell you when you came back. That way you wouldn't beat yourself up to get ready for the last lesson," Gobber explained, wrapping a band aid around Hiccup's left hand.

"Then when will that take place?"

"In a month's time or so," Gobber let go of his hand and stood up. "See ya later, chief," Gobber chuckled, patting his shoulder before he disappeared through the crowd of people. Hiccup stood up from his seat, about to run after him and question him, but someone called his name.

"Hiccup!" His father called out to him. Hiccup turned around to see his father waving off the healers. He walked over to him.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked.

"I need you to be…chief…while I recover from the injuries. The healers wouldn't allow any stress on me and preferred that you took over for a while," Stoick explained.

"WHAT?!" Hiccup screamed in shock. All attention turned to him.

"Don't worry; I'll be by your side helping you. You just need to take the main part of the chiefing while I recover."

"Alright, I'll do it," Hiccup sighed, rubbing his forehead bud winced when he remembered his gash.

"You need to get that looked at," Stoick said, standing up as he held his ribs. He called for a healer and only seconds later, one came through the crowd. Hiccup sat down on the bench and let the healer clean his wound, listening to the questions the healer asked him.

"Does your head hurt?" The healer asked. Hiccup shook his head. "Your eye?"

"A little from the blood, but nothing more," The healer nodded and continued cleaning. The healer looked at the cleaned wound and sighed. "What is it?" Hiccup asked worriedly.

"Looks like it'll heal and leave a scar," Hiccup sighed, but nodded.

"He's getting a scar? How cool!" A voice from the crowd shouted, running towards them. Hiccup groaned, turning to look at Tuffnut as the healer got some medicine.

"I could give you a scar right now," Ruffnut smirked, punching her brother to the ground. The crowd groaned in annoyance, having put up with that for two years straight, and turned back to their own business.

"So how's the pride of Berk doing?" Astrid asked, ignoring the twins fighting and screaming at each other. Hiccup blushed at the nickname, but winced once the medicine was applies to his gash.

"Good actually," Hiccup chuckled. "Except for the fact that dad made me acting chief for an unlimited time," Stoick fake coughed, alarming him that he was still there.

"You're the acting chief?" Fishlegs asked in wonder.

"Come on chief, what do you see when you look over here?" Snotlout pouted, flexing his muscles.

"A childish, selfish teen," Stoick pointed out and walked away. Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle.

"And you're cleaned up!" The healer said happily, packing away her stuff. "Your eye will be a little red for a few more days, but that's normal. Make sure you clean both your eye and the wound twice a day," Hiccup nodded and thanked her. He stood up and turned to Snotlout.

"Relax, I will need some help though," Snotlout's mood lightened up at the sound of that.

"Of course you do. I mean, what would a fishbone like you do without me?" Snotlout laughed. Astrid growled, punching him in his guts and square in his face. Snotlout fell to the ground, one hand on his stomach and the other on his nose.

"How insulting," Hiccup said sarcastically, pulling Astrid away from Snotlout before she got the chance to jump on him again. "Easy there Astrid," She grunted in annoyance and calmed down. Hiccup let go of her and let her face him.

"So what do you need help with?" She asked.

"I'll have to talk to my dad first, be right back," He said, walking off to find his father. Once out of sight, Astrid turned towards Snotlout with an evil smirk, cracking her knuckles.

"Oh no," Snotlout muttered, standing up and running away from Astrid who trailed closely behind him.


	74. Chapter 74

Hiccup had newly talked to his father about the plan on rebuilding Berk and getting back the dragons, in which his father approved on. The stories of what happened would have to wait since most of the Vikings were complaining already. Hiccup looked at his father who stood behind him and nodded for him to go forward. He swallowed nervously, and stepped onto the never ending table, getting someone's attention but unfortunately not everyone's. He took a deep breath, gathering the courage to call out for their attention. He knew, when he finally had their fully attention, he would feel like he could have a nervous panic attack. Yes, there was a time where he wanted everyone's attention, but he didn't mean all at once. And especially not when another tribe was there with them.

"Okay everyone, calm down!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Everyone's eyes landed on him.

"We've made a plan on how we should rebuild Berk," The village erupted in cheers. "Now let's get started!" Hiccup announced. "Savage?" Hiccup called out for the man. Savage stepped forward.

"Yes?"

"Could you help us rebuild and keep us supplied for a while until we get everything back to normal?"

"It would be an honor," Hiccup thanked him and faced the crowd.

"Okay. From now on, Outcast's and Berkians will be working together whether you like it or not," A few groans came from the crowd from both crowds. "Gobber will place you in groups of different tasks that need to be done. First group will be searching for belonging and remove the ashes to clear the ground so we can build the new homes. When that is finished, you will be helping to build everything. For now, your home will be in the Great Hall," A few more groans came, mostly from Snotlout and the twins. Hiccup shot them a glare.

"Women who can sew will be making new clothes with the fabric we will buy from the Bog-Burglars. While waiting, you will be making enough food with the supplies from the outcasts and keep anyone from starving. Everyone else will be helping on constructing the new houses. Meeting dismissed!" Hiccup announced and walked down from the table, taking a deep shaky breath. He looked at his father who placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Your mother would be so proud," Stoick said kindness in his eyes.

"Thank you dad," Hiccup smiled. His friends walked over to him.

"What should we do?" Fishlegs asked.

"You'll be going with me to the Bog-Burglars where we'll get supplies," He said.

"How? All the dragons are gone," Tuffnut said.

"That's why I'll get them while you help the village," Before they could complain, he and Toothless left the hall in the direction of Dragon Island.

* * *

The villagers were working in the warm summer air. Sweat dripping from their foreheads as they either brushed the ashes over the nearest cliff sides or filled buckets with ashes and stored them outside the Great Hall. Out in the distance, dragons were closing in on Berk, but no one seemed to notice before they were just above them. A shadow swooped over the Vikings, soon followed by more. Looking up, the villagers cheered. It had been two years since the Berkians had seen a single dragon on Berk. They had heard wild ones fly over Berk, but never really seen one.

Hiccup looked below him to see the dragons and Vikings getting reunited once again. He smiled and steered his dragon to the mountains where his baskets still laid. After picking them up and strapping them to the saddle, the two flew back down to the village and landed next to their still standing house. The only difference was the outcast's symbols hanging from the roof and down the side of the house. With a little help from his dragon, Hiccup pulled the large fabric off his house and left it in a messed bundle on the ground. The two walked inside the house to find the same furniture's there.

"Huh, Whoever lived here while we were gone must have liked our house pretty well," Hiccup chuckled, unstrapping the baskets and set them on the ground beside the table. He emptied the baskets and picked up his old clothes. They were too small for him now that he had grown, so he figured he could give them away to the children in town.

Hiccup walked out of the house with Toothless following behind, and searched around for anyone younger than him. A group of small children played around with dragons their size. Hiccup couldn't help but crack a smile as he walked over to them, his clothes in his hands. When the children saw him come towards him, they ran towards him with excitement in their body language.

"Ready to get some new clothes?" Hiccup asked, kneeling down to them. The children squealed in excitement, jumping up and down.

"Please, please, please," They begged, holding their hands together and looked up at him with their puppy eyes.

"The eyes are killing me!" He said dramatically, dropping the clothes down on his feet as he feel down on the ground. The children giggled and nodded to each other. "What are they planning on doing to the fallen chief?" Hiccup asked, faking his horrific face. Suddenly the children jumped on him, pinning him down as they began tickling them. Hiccup broke out laughing, gently trying to push them off of him.

"Hahaha- Stop it! Aww he's down, Hahahahah," Tears welled up in his eyes as the children kept tickling. Their giggles mixed with Hiccup's laughter. "The might chief has fallen," Hiccup gasped dramatically, laying his head back in defeat with closed eyes. He felt someone poke his cheek, making him grin. He opened his eyes to be met with the most beautiful, ocean blue eyes he had ever seen

"And what is the mighty chief doing? Astrid chuckled, imitating Hiccup's voice. Hiccup shot up, sitting up with the kids all over him.

"Hi Astrid- Hey. Hi Astrid, hello, uhm," The children giggled at his nervousness, their arms wrapped around his feet. Astrid helped him up, but with the children hanging on, he was unable to move. "Alright you got me," Hiccup chuckled, picking up the clothes from the ground. "Now, who want some new clothes?" The children squealed as he kneeled down, handing over a tunic to each of them. They changed their old ripped clothes into his tunic and looked at him with wide smiles. A girl came over to him, with one of his old tunics on that was a little over sized on her, and hugged him around his neck.

"Thank you mister," Hiccup was taken aback by the hug, but soon wrapped his arms around the tiny girl.

"You're welcome," He was about to let go when suddenly all the children came over to him and copied the young girl's action, sending him to the ground with nine kids on top of him.

"Come on kids," Their mother's yelled for their children. They pulled away with smiles on their faces as they ran to their parents. Astrid helped Hiccup up and pulled him towards her, their lips crashing against each other. She pulled away before Hiccup had time to respond.

"Why do you always do that?" Hiccup asked dumbfounded.

"Do what?" Astrid asked, trying to hide her anger. Did he hate me for kissing him? She asked herself.

"Kiss me unexpectedly. It takes me by surprise every time," Hiccup chuckled walking along side Astrid as they walked down the last stairs of the hill to his house to meet up with the others.

"Because it's always funny seeing you with that face," Hiccup looked at her confused.

"What face?" Astrid giggled, pointing to his face.

"There you did it again," She laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder as they separated to mount their dragons.

"Well, now you know there's more ways of making me look like that," Hiccup attached his safety gear to the saddle and looked over at Astrid, giving her a crooked smile. "But that doesn't mean you have to stop doing the first alternative," Before she could respond, he was up in the air already heading towards the Bog-Burglar tribe.


	75. Chapter 75

A week passed and everything was going great. They had upgraded the village by building bigger houses to contain more people as they build the village from the ground and back to the way it was. Hiccup didn't complain about being chief even though it was hard at some times. He was just glad his father was recovering and staying by his side to give him guidance whenever he needed it.

The villagers were in new sewed clothes and fully fed by the amount of supplies they were getting in by the help of the dragons. The outcasts offered their ships for Bucket and Mulch to use as they went fishing. They thanked them and set out with a few dragons followed to scare them up some fish.

Hiccup was in the forge; helping Gobber with some new saddles since most of them were either gone or ripped to pieces when the dragons came back.

"I'm going for lunch," Gobber said giving the last saddle for the last villagers. After a long day of working, they were finally getting to the finish line. Only a few saddles were remaining and those were for Hiccup's friends. He decided to do it a little special.

"Okay Gobber. I'm just going to stay here a bit longer," Gobber nodded and took off towards the Great Hall.

Hiccup went to his little new hut where he had his remaining sketches. Some of them were luckily not burned down from the attack. Surprisingly had he found them back in his house.

He picked up the sketches that Gobber had helped him with and went back inside the main part of the forge, grabbing a long piece of leather on the way. He laid the piece of leather down on one of the cleared tables and took out his pen to sketch out the part he would use. Once finished, he took a metal pinch, brought the leather over to the boiling water and left it in it for a minutes before laying it on top of a nadder formed wooden structure to begin smoothing it out.

Toothless sat by the entrance, to get some of the cold air from the inside, and watched his rider curiously. Sometimes giving him small questioning sounds.

"Man, it's hot in here," Hiccup complained, drying his sweaty forehead with a clean towel. He removed his tunic and went over to one of the windows and opened it. "Mmm," He smiled as a cold breeze came, cooling down his hot skin. He enjoyed the little moment before going back to work, not having notice the villagers looking at him with wide eyes. Mostly the women.

Hiccup went back to working on the saddles when he suddenly heard someone calling for him. He dropped his tools and took a towel to wipe the sweat off his hands. The voices called him again.

"Okay, I'm coming," He called out, walking over to the open window to see women, some younger and some older than him, crowded around, holding weapons out to him.

"Can you sharpen my axe?" A blond girl asked.

"No take mine first!" Another one yelled, pushing the other away from him. Hiccup took a step back as a hand reached out for him. He let go of the towel and grabbed the closest axe, making one of the girls squeal and the others sigh.

"Take your time Hiccup!" The girls called out as he walked into the forge to the grinner.

"That was weird," Hiccup muttered, starting the grinding wheel. Toothless snorted, rolling his eyes as he kept an eye on the glaring women by the window. Hiccup laid the axe against the grinding wheel, keeping his eyes on the sword to make sure he didn't leave a single crack. Once finished, he didn't even bother to stop the wheel, and walked over to the window again, running a hand through his hair to get the hair out of his eyes. "Here," He gave it to the girl, ignoring the other girls glaring at him with lust in their eyes. Once he handed it over, another one was placed in his hand. Hiccup sighed and examined the sword in his hand. "This is just newly repaired," He said, running his fingers over the blade.

"Oh, it is?" A brunette asked dumbly. "It just felt like it would break at any moment," She said, leaning her head in her palm, keeping her eyes locked on Hiccup's sweaty abs.

"Well, it's lighter than any usual sword," Hiccup said, throwing the sword up before it landed in his hands again. He walked around the corner and walked outside past the girls who were staring at him. "Let's find out," He smirked, making some girls faint. He walked over to the fence around the forge and raised the sword above his head before swinging it down on the thick plank. Looking down, only two seconds later the plank slid out of its place, breaking from the fence and down to the grass. He turned to the girls who stared at him. "Well, there's nothing wrong with it. It's the strongest sword I've ever come across!" He chuckled, handing it over to the girl. "What metal is it?" He asked curiously.

"Gronckle iron," The girl smiled, accepting the sword. "Fishlegs and Gobber discovered it when you were away," Hiccup nodded, smiling a little. "I will have to ask them about that later," He said smiling. "Who's next?"


	76. Chapter 76

Astrid walked up from the docks with her friends and their dragons. "So, Heather. You've changed a lot," Astrid smiled, looking her up and down.

"Yeah," She laughed. "That's what happens when you grow up," She chuckled a little. "You don't look to bad yourself," Astrid smiled, looking forward.

"Thank you," She said, rubbing her Nadders head. "So, any special boy in your life?" Heather blushed. Behind them the three boys were looking at her with wide eyes, hoping the answer was no.

"There is actually," Heather blushed.

"WHAT? WHO?!" The boys screamed in unison. Astrid turned around with a smirk.

"His name is Asmund," Heather said dreamingly.

"Asmund? You know that means the divine protection?" Astrid asked. Heather nodded with a blush. "You know what that means boys?" Astrid said, nudging Ruffnut a little. The boys stared at her questioningly. Astrid groaned. "Ruffnut is only the left on the marked in our age," The three boy's eyes widened. Tuffnut glared at her sister in disgust and continued walking. Snotlout and Fishlegs turned to each other with wide eyes. Snotlout pushed Fishlegs away and knelt down before Ruffnut.

"Would you like to be my girlfriend?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Fishlegs pushed him away and knelt down.

"No please, be mine," He said, smiling from ear to ear. Ruffnut glared at Astrid.

"You are so dead," She whispered, kicking the two boys away from her. Astrid and Heather laughed before continuing walking up from the docks.

"Come on, let's find Hiccup," Astrid said, pulling Heather forward. The teens ran with their dragons to up to the village where they searched for him and his night fury.

"Hey," Heather nudged Astrid's side. "What's going on over there?" She asked, pointing towards a crowd of girls swarming around the forge.

"I don't know. Let's check it out," Astrid said, running over to the forge. "Hiccup, you in here?!" Astrid yelled, standing outside the forge.

"Yeah I'm here!" Hiccup yelled from the inside. "I'll be there in a second," He called out. He walked over to the girls by the window and handed one of them her blade. "I'll be back in a few minutes," He smiled at them before grabbing a towel to wipe away the ashes from his hands. Astrid looked at the girls, along with the others, suspiciously. "What is it?" Hiccup asked, walking over to them.

"We just came to tell you-," Astrid trailed off with wide eyes. Her eyes glues to Hiccup's body. "Uh, earth to Astrid?" Hiccup said, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Oh, right," She looked up, blushing madly. "We came to tell you Heather would be staying here for a few days," She said, struggling to hold her gaze locked with his. Hiccup looked around, noticing Heather standing by Ruffnut.

"Heather!" Hiccup smiled, walking over to her. "Long time no see," Heather nodded, glaring at his abs. Hiccup looked at her with a frown, turning to Snotlout. "Is she okay?" But Snotlout was in the same shock. "Okay, would anyone please tell me why you're all glaring at me? It's getting a little uncomfortable," He sighed, stepping away from them.

"Wow, what happened to Hiccup?" Tuffnut asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"What do you mean? Do I have something in my face?" He asked, pointing at his face. Tuffnut was about to answer when Astrid cut him off.

"It's nothing Hiccup," She said, glaring at Tuffnut. "So what have you been up to?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"Just sharpening their weapons," Hiccup smiled, gesturing to the girls staring into the air nervously behind him. "They needed them fixed so I helped them."

"Oh they did, didn't they?" Astrid asked, glaring at the girls. One of them waved awkwardly to her. Astrid walked over to Hiccup, gently pushing him by his shoulder towards the forge. "Why don't you go put on your tunic and we'll go show Heather around, aye?" She asked, grabbing his tunic and tossing it to him.

"Maybe later, I still have to help them," Hiccup said, pointing to the girls by the window who pouted as he put on his tunic.

"Nuh-uh mister. They can wait," Astrid said, glaring at the girls once more before shoving him out of the forge with Toothless following behind. Once Toothless caught sight of Heather, he bounced over with his gums visible and tongue out.

"Hey Toothless," Heather smiled, rubbing his chin. Toothless purred happily, cooing a little. "Oh, I've missed you too," Heather laughed before looking up at the others.

"Ready for the tour?" Astrid asked. Heather nodded and walked over to them. Then they began the little tour.

"So the Outcasts are still helping?" Heather asked.

"Yup," Hiccup answered looking around at the two tribes working and talking together.

"Hiccup!" A voice yelled from behind them. They turned around to see Stoick walking over to them.

"Hey dad," Hiccup greeted. "Something you need?" Stoick nodded.

"You still haven't told anyone about the adventure on your chief training. Come on, people are waiting in the Great Hall," Stoick pulled Hiccup towards the Great Hall with his friends and their dragons following behind.

"Okay, no need to pull me. I still have legs to walk on," Stoick let go of his hand.

"Leg," Snotlout pointed out. Hiccup sighed and turned to Heather.

"Do you have anywhere to stay while you're here?" Heather shook her head. "You could stay with us in my house," Heather looked up with a smile.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah, it wouldn't be much of a problem. Right dad?" Stoick laughed.

"You're welcome to stay any time Heather," Stoick smiled.

"Thanks chief!"

"Oh, I'm not the chief," Stoick smiled, nudging Hiccup a little.

"It's only temporarily," Hiccup corrected him quickly. "And I'm more like a acting chief not the chief," He said, smiling nervously.

"That's not what everyone else calls you," Astrid laughed, nudging him to continue walking. Hiccup rolled his eyes and opened the door for his father and friends before walking in himself. Stoick led him to the table of the council. Hiccup sat down by his father and his friends by his side.

"So, where should I start?" Hiccup asked, resting his hands on the table.

"Just tell us what you learned and how you changed from being what you were and to who you are now," Stoick said. Hiccup nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Okay, so honestly, we didn't go on much adventures or something like that. It was mostly training all day and some chiefing duties afterwards. But that started two weeks after I arrived. The two first weeks were spent on stopping the war between the dragons and the people living there," Snotlout chuckled.

"It took you two weeks convince the dragons over there? If I was there I would've taught them in a few seconds," Hiccup sighed.

"It wasn't just two weeks on stopping them from raiding. I also had to train them, help their blacksmith build saddles and make sure the dragons wouldn't destroy everything in their village. It took me long enough just to get the people on their backs," Hiccup chuckled at the memory. "Some ended up burning themselves by wrong approach. Some earned a few spikes in their feet and some kids startled all the dragons so they went out of control," The council chuckled, imagining the scene for themselves. "Once that was done, Camicazi and I was sent to craft our own weapons in the forge," Hiccup stood up and walked over to Toothless's saddle and unsheathed a sword. "For me, it was swords."

"How? When you left you could barely hold one for a few seconds?" Tuffnut asked, secretly fist bumping beneath the table with Snotlout.

"I was getting to that," Hiccup said, laying the sword back in place. "Camicazi chose and axe, but just as for me, they were too heavy. That was when the worst part of the training began. The chieftess, Bertha, trained us from dawn to dusk each day for a year. Sometimes she would give us some time free to keep our bodies from collapsing," Hiccup laughed. "Anyways. When the second year came, we took a break from training until the holidays were over and from then on we began training on combat skills, climbing, navigating. Everything someone should learn in a life time," Hiccup paused.

"Was that all you did?" Astrid asked amazed. If that was everything they had done then it's not weird he was such a muscled person now. Tough he was still not as buff as everyone, he would always be her, I mean, their, fishbone.

"Basically yeah. We did come across a few new dragons though that had their nests on their Island," Fishlegs squealed, bringing everyone to cover their ears.

"Can you tell us about them? Please?" Fishlegs begged.

"Alright," Hiccup smiled, pulling out his notebook from Toothless's saddle bag. "None of the dragons really bothered the village, but one specie," He opened his notebook on a page and pointed to the dragon. "Smothering Smokebreaths," He explained. "I remember reading about them in the Book of Dragons, but without the book, it was no use."

"Oh, I've read about those!" Fishlegs said.

"Of course you have," Snotlout rolled his eyes.

"They stole the metal from the village by the cover of night and deep fog. It took a while for us to find out what was happening, and until the problem was solved, the training was paused. Which I was kind of grateful for," The villagers laughed. "It took me and Toothless a day to solve the problem. How we did it, was simple. We found our thief, observed them, tracked their nest and led them to an inhabited island."

"What other dragons were there?" Heather asked. Hiccup scrolled through his notebook a few pages before stopping again.

"We discovered a new species of something called Rumblehorns, Scuttleclaws, and Stormcutters," He showed them the pages and left it to stay open on the last one mentioned. Stoick looked at the notebook to see the dragon. His eyes widened.

"Gobber," He said, nudging Gobber's shoulder. "This is the dragon," Gobber examined the picture further.

"Is something wrong dad?" Hiccup asked, stopping the conversation to ask him.

"Hiccup, may I have a word with you?" Hiccup nodded and stood up. They excused themselves and walked over to the other side of the hall.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked again. Stoick sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Hiccup," Stoick began, taking a deep breath as he pointed to the dragon. "This is the dragon that took your mother."

"What?" Hiccup asked in disbelief. His voice cracking.

"This dragon killed your mother Hiccup. It's the species that took her from us," Stoick said, anger rising within him. Hiccup looked at his father. He remembered what his grandfather had told him, but unsure if he should tell his father. He had to.

"Dad, mom isn't dead," Hiccup choked out, looking into his eyes. Stoick looked down at his son in shock.

"How dare you?" Stoick growled.

"No, dad, you don't understand!" Hiccup practically yelled. The villagers turned to them. "When I died. I met my grandfather in Valhalla. And he said," Hiccup paused. His voice fainter. "He said my mother wasn't there," Stoick held his son by his shoulders.

"What do you mean?" Stoick asked, forcing Hiccup to look at him.

"He said she wasn't there!" Hiccup choked out. "What I'm saying is that, what if she's somewhere out there dad? What if she managed to live with the dragons like we do?" Hiccup asked. He was panicking. Stoick saw that. Both of them were confused on what to do.

"I don't know son," Stoick said much calmer. He pulled Hiccup in for a hug, whispering. "She would have been back then. I know she would," Hiccup sighed.

"Then why did he tell me that?" Hiccup asked. Stoick pulled away, kneeling down a little.

"Listen son," Stoick said with a soft tone in his voice. Even if he was just as confused as his son, he knew he couldn't show it. He had to be strong for his son. At least when he was the only family he had left. "I don't know why he told you that, but I know everything someone says is for a reason. Whether they lie or they speak the truth."

"So you're telling me he lied?" Hiccup asked.

"No, I'm telling you he said it for a reason. Maybe she's out there and maybe she's not. The point is, you can't just believe something you hear. You have to see it for yourself," Stoick smiled at his son as he stood up and walked towards the others again with Hiccup following behind.

Hiccup looked down in his notebook to inspect the dragon. Something was familiar with it. He knew that. And by the story he heard from Gobber that might be from where he remembers it. Only that he didn't know. But one thing he did know was that he and Toothless were going out searching.


	77. Chapter 77

As Hiccup finished telling his tale from when he left until when he came back and defeated Alvin, he was let free. He excused himself from his friends to start working on his only priority. His mother. In Hiccup's whole life, he'd have so many priorities. Like how he had to toughen up. Be less of a disappointment for his father. But none of those was as big as the one he had now. It was finding his long lost mother. He promised himself from that day on, that he would find out what happened to her after she was taken from Berk, no matter what it cost him. His mind was screaming for him to find the truth. He needed to find it.

He and Toothless flew down from the stairs to his house where he went in to set together some plans. He knew he wouldn't be able to begin searching before he was set free from being chief. Walking up, he carefully stepped across the blankets and pillows spread around his room since he had been so kind to let his friends stay there until their houses were rebuilt.

Toothless lay down next to Hiccup's king sized bed, in which he and Astrid shared for now, and rested his head on the bed as he curiously watched his rider take out a piece of paper and some charcoal and sit down on the opposite side, doing the same thing.

"Okay, so we know what dragon took her," He noted. "And we…we don't know anything more," Hiccup sighed, laying his head down on the bed again. Toothless purred, nudging Hiccup to encourage him to work harder. "Gobber said something about her being taken away by a cliff," His eyes widened. "Come on Toothless!" He ran downstairs with the paper and lay it down on the table. "Where is it, where is it, where is it," He mumbled, throwing away baskets, bowls and everything in sight. The door opened behind him but he was too caught up in what he was doing to even notice.

"What are you doing?" Astrid asked. Hiccup screamed, holding his chest.

"Astrid, wow, you scared me," He said, breathing heavily.

"Sorry," She apologized, approaching him. "You didn't answer my question," She said, looking over his shoulder.

"Oh, right," He said looking further through the baskets without looking at her. "I'm looking for…"

"You're looking for…?"

"AHA! FOUND IT!" Hiccup cheered, standing up. He held it up in his hands, showing it to her.

"A…compass?" Hiccup nodded. "What do you need that for?" Hiccup smiled from ear to ear, picking up the piece of paper and putting the charcoal behind his ear.

"This," Before Astrid knew it, he and Toothless disappeared through the door.

"Hey, wait up!" She yelled, following him. Hiccup greeted his friends who waited outside for them, before running over to the cliff behind his house and kneeling down there.

"What is he doing?" Heather whispered, coming up behind him with the others.

"I have no idea," Ruffnut whispered back.

"You know, I can hear you," Hiccup said, looking back for a seconds before turning back to the compass. He opened the lid of the compass and balanced it on his right forearm as he looked back and forth from it and the view. "East," He whispered. He set down the compass and noted it down. Toothless sniffed the paper, looking up at Toothless. "In a few weeks we'll be heading that way bud," Hiccup smiled. "We're going to find my mother," Toothless licked Hiccup's cheek happily. Hiccup laughed, pushing him away playfully. He stood up and folded the paper into the side of his pants and the charcoal behind his left ear.

"You want to tell us what is going on?" Astrid asked for them all.

"No, not really," Hiccup chuckled, walking towards the back door in his house.

"Let me handle this," Snotlout said with a wink. "Hiccup, you tell us what you're doing or I'll go get my bludgeon," Hiccup sighed, opening the doors for the others to go in.

"You wouldn't stand a chance against him," Tuffnut said, walking in after the others. "I mean did you see what he did with Alvin. Man, you have to show us how you did that."

"I'll add that to my list," The teens sat down around the table as Hiccup got a mug of water for them all and a block of ice to his head.

"You okay?" Astrid asked, pointing to the ice to his head.

"Yeah, just chiefing you know. Gives headaches," Hiccup answered, smiling a little before he leaned back in his chair.

"So what's…this?" Astrid took the piece of paper out of his pants and unfolded it. "First priority, Stormcutter. East?" Hiccup nodded grabbing the piece of paper from her.

"Yup," He simply said.

"Mind telling u what it is?" Fishlegs asked.

"Fine, I'm doing something for my father," He said, keeping a straight face. Astrid glared at him. "You're not going to let this one go are you?"

"Nope," Ruffnut said, popping the 'p'.

"Alright. In the Great Hall today, my father pulled me away to talk to me about something," Toothless came over to him with the notebook. "Thanks bud," The dragon purred in response. Hiccup flicked through the pages until the page his father talked about came. "He told me that this," He pointed to the picture. "Was the dragon that took my mother? A Stormcutter. And I told him she's alive because that's what I was told when I went to Valhalla."

"You were in Valhalla?" Heather asked shocked. Hiccup nodded confused.

"Didn't we tell you about it when you were here?" Heather shook her head. "Okay, long story short. Alvin tortured me. I died. I went to Valhalla and met my grandfather who told me my mother was alive. And I was brought back to life because of him," Heather looked at him in awe, poking his shoulder to see if he was really there. Hiccup frowned. "Back to topic. SO I told my father what he said and first he didn't believe me, and still doesn't seem to. I really don't know. Anyways. My plans are to find out what happened to my mother, starting with this," He picked up the paper and showed it to them.

"So your mother was taken away by a Stormcutter and brought in the east of Berk?" Hiccup nodded.

"And I won't stop until I find out what happened to her. No matter what," Hiccup said, taking a zip from his mug.

"We should come with you," Astrid suggested. Hiccup sighed.

"This is something I have to do alone. I'm sorry but I'm not changing my mind," Hiccup closed his eyes to prevent himself from looking at their puppy eyes. "And that's final," Astrid sighed.

"Fine, but you better tell us what you've found when you get back," She glared at him. He nodded and stood up, leaving the ice on the table.

"I'll see ya later, chief duties," Hiccup said, leaving them there alone.


	78. Chapter 78

Astrid and her friends were in the academy playing truth and dare for a little while until Hiccup finally came to join them. He was still not used to seeing them in new clothes. Astrid had her red new top and lighter boots. The twins pretty much the same just different colors. Snotlout had a new pair of pants and a new blue t-shirt. While Heather had the same and Fishlegs had a new fur coat with a belt.

"Chiefing went well I presume?" Astrid chuckled, patting the spot beside her.

"It could have been better if someone here didn't go yak tipping," Hiccup glared at the twins who sat there avoiding eye contact. "What are you guys doing?"

"Truth and dare," Snotlout said. "Okay, my turn. Hiccup, truth or dare?

"Dare."

"I dare you to kiss Astrid on the lips," Hiccup laughed.

"Is that the worse you can come up with?" Snotlout rolled his eyes.

"Just do it already!" Snotlout said. Hiccup nodded, cupped Astrid's cheek and pressed his lips against hers. Astrid smiled before he pulled away. Her cheeks flushing red. "Okay, break it up you two. You're grossing me out."

"It was your dare," Snotlout pointed at Hiccup, trying to find a comeback but ended up groaning in frustration.

"Astrid, truth or dare," He asked, smiling at her.

"Dare," Hiccup nodded and looked at her.

"I dare you to make pigtails out of their," He pointed to the boys. "Hair."

"Argh come on!" Fishlegs groaned, covering his face.

"Good luck with my hair," Tuffnut said, holding a handful of his own hair.

"It's not the worst," Astrid laughed, walking over to Snotlout and sat down behind him. Then she began making the braids.

"You know, making braids on a boy means you're marking the as your own," Hiccup smirked, winking at her.

"Oh you little," Astrid groaned shooting him a glare. Ruffnut and Heather burst out laughing as the first braid was made at the top of Snotlout's hair. As time passed by and Astrid was finishing the long braids, bounded with different ropes Hiccup gave her, for Tuffnut's hair, she sat back down next to Hiccup, secretly taking a little hair from him to make him a braid too.

"Okay Astrid, your tur-hey, stop it," Hiccup laughed, trying to pull her away from him. Astrid punched his shoulder, making him groan in pain.

"Unless you want another punch, you stay still," Hiccup sighed and lay back.

"I've got something I need to give you guys later," Hiccup said, feeling Astrid grab another handful of his hair.

"Oh?" Astrid said, tying the braid and continuing on the next.

"Yup. Something the chieftess back on Bog-Burglar wanted me to give you from her," The teens looked at him so he would continue. "But it's a surprise," The teens groaned and lay back, continuing to talk for the rest of the day.

When night was coming they decided to head back to the house so Hiccup could show them the surprise. He had tried to remove one of the braids that held up his hair, but Astrid and flown over to him and slapped his hand away, telling him he wasn't able to remove them until the next day. Hiccup sighed and let them stay as they landed on the ground and walked inside the house. He ran upstairs and got the basket before walking down to the others.

"I got this just before I left," he said, emptying the basket on the table. "And since you already have a fur coat, I got this," Hiccup said, giving a little book to Fishlegs. Fishlegs took it out of his hands and flicked through the pages.

"It's about…dragons," Fishlegs said in awe. He ran over to Hiccup and tackled him to the ground, thanking him several times. Fishlegs let go and helped him stand up before he sat down by the table to read through it. Hiccup smiled and turned to see the others trying on the fur.

"What do you think?" Hiccup turned around to see Astrid finishing attaching hers to her shoulder pads. His eyes widened at the sight. She was…beautiful. "The braid though may be a problem," She said, loosening it a little. Hiccup felt himself drool but didn't care as she let her hair down from her braid. Her hair went over both her shoulders and down in the hood she was holding.

"I think I can fix that," Heather said, walking over to her with Ruffnut. They started working on her hair as Hiccup stood there speechlessly staring at them.

"Hey cousin, mind helping me?" Snotlout said, struggling to attach the black fur around his neck. He kept scratching himself on the claws. "Hiccup?" He looked up, walking over to him and smirked. He went over to the table and grabbed the mug before throwing everything over Hiccup.

"AAH THAT'S COLD," Hiccup yelled, looking angrily at Snotlout. "Why did you do that?" Snotlout just laughed.

"Mind helping me or are you going to keep drooling over her?" Hiccup looked at him with wide eyes before wiping away the drool. He walked over to him and helped him attaching the fur to his shoulder pads. Sometimes taking small glances up to look at Astrid.

"There," Hiccup finished up. Snotlout turned around and asked him how he looked. "You look fine," Snotlout grunted.

"Argh, that's not good enough," Snotlout said, walking over to the table to sit next to Tuffnut who had taken on his fur jacket. Hiccup sighed and sat down next to them, brushing the hair out of his face.

"And voila! You're done," Heather said, stepping away from Astrid along with Ruffnut. Hiccup turned around to see Astrid with her hair in a side braid that went over her shoulder.

"It's perfect, thank you," She thanked them before sitting down beside Hiccup. For the rest of the night they sat there talking with each other about different things and eventually called it the night.


	79. Chapter 79

_Hiccup's head moved to the left, then to the right. His eyebrows furrowed in fear._

 _A voice called for his name, but he couldn't register where it came from. The voice called his name again with a hoarse call. Hiccup looked to his left and then to his right. Nothing. The voice called him again, much closer. All of a sudden, the room felt colder. The only sound was the calling of his name getting louder and louder. He whipped his head around in every direction but found nothing._

 _"Oh Hiccup," The voice sounded, calling his voice in a creepy manner that sent chills down his spine. A dark figure appeared in front of him, rather beefy. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look as he nervously walked forward. His curiosity getting the best of him._

 _"Who are you?" Hiccup asked. Nervous for the answer._

 _"Don't you remember me Hiccup? After all the fun we had together," The figure laughed. For once speaking something else than his name. "I thought you would remember after changing my people's minds," The voice boomed, throwing something towards him that pinned to the wall. Hiccup took a quick look behind him. Big mistake. As he turned around, someone was holding his wrists. He tried to get away from the hands that felt like sand paper against his, but to no avail. Looking up, he tried to make out the persons face in the dark. "Let's continue what we started three years ago," The voice of a man said pressing something sharp against Hiccup's wrists. Hiccup screamed in pain, trying to get out of the man's grip, but his body became weaker. He felt himself slowly slipping away. The last thing he heard was the voice saying, "I'll see you later Hiccup," and then everything went dark._

* * *

Hiccup shot up in his bed breathing heavily with sweaty skin. He looked around to find himself in his bedroom with his friends lying sound asleep on the ground. He sighed and grabbed his prosthetic, strapping it on to his stump before he slowly walked downstairs. He opened the doors slowly, to not wake anyone in the house and walked outside, closing it behind him and enjoyed the cold air drying his skin. With a deep breath to calm himself down, he ran a hand through his hair, well tried to, and made his way towards the dark forest, as he removed the braids in his hair, to get some time alone.

Hiccup sat down in the cove, removing the last of the braids, when he heard a twig snap. His head moved to the side, narrowing in hope to see something in the dark. "Hello?" He called out, standing up. Another twig snapped, almost sounding like whoever hid in the dark didn't want to keep stealthy. "Is anyone there?" He called out again, walking closer to the sound. One would've gone the other way, but not Hiccup. He's way too curious for that.

A dark figure was approaching him slowly. "I told you I would see you later," The figure said and revealed himself with a mischievous smile. Hiccup gasped.

"Alvin," He whispered, horrified. "B-but y-you-

"Died? I did, didn't I?" Alvin smiled, approaching Hiccup. Hiccup stepped backwards in fear. "I've got some unfinished business I need to take care of," Hiccup looked at him confused. He hated himself for being so useless and afraid at a moment like this. He needed to be strong and face the enemy, but something prevented him from doing so.

"H-how?" Hiccup stuttered, mentally smacking himself for that. "How are you still here?" He asked.

"Simple. A friend of mine helped me come back to finish some business," Alvin drew his sword and held it behind his head, ready to throw. "He also gave this," He gritted his teeth and threw it. Hiccup was frozen in his tracks, standing there wide eyed. The sword flew straight towards his chest in perfect aim, and Hiccup braced himself. Pain exploded in his chest, but not the pain he'd expected. His insides felt ripped in pieces but at the same time it didn't. He broke his gaze from Alvin and looked down.

The sword had gone straight through him, but there was no hole. The last thing he heard was Alvin's laugh before he felt himself make contact with the grass beneath his feet and his eyes closed shut.

* * *

"BREAKFAST!" A voice yelled from downstairs. The teens shot up in their beds with a groan. Snotlout rubbed his head.

"I'm never going to get used to that," He said, removing the covers and slowly stood up with the others.

"Hey, where's Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked, pointing to the empty space beside Astrid.

"Astrid probably pushed him out of the bed," Snotlout smirked, laughing with Tuffnut. Astrid growled and tackled him with a punch. Heather and Fishlegs held her back as she was about to hit him again.

"STOP with the violence!" Snotlout yelled, holding the side of his head. Astrid snorted, walking towards the stairs.

"He's probably downstairs already," Astrid said, walking down the stairs. The other's followed shortly behind. "Morning chief," The six said in unison. Stoick looked up at them with a smile, but frowned when he noticed Hiccup wasn't with them.

"Where's Hiccup?" He asked. The teens looked at him in concern. Toothless looked at them questioningly. Having slept downstairs because of the amount of space. He growled questioningly.

"He's not down here?" Astrid asked. Stoick shook his head. "He was gone when we woke up," Stoick's eyes widened. He dropped the plates and fork in his hand before running out of the house with the teens following from behind. He ran down the stairs to the forge, even though he was still recovering, and called for Gobber. Metal and equipment were dropped, shortly followed by a few sounds from a man known to the whole island.

"I'm comin'!" Gobber yelled, walking outside as he kicked away a bucket from his wooden leg. "Mornin chief!" He greeted with a smile.

"Have you seen Hiccup?" Gobber looked at him confused.

"Not since yesterday when he was working. Why?" Stoick sighed.

"We woke up with him gone and now we can't find him. Toothless was with us when we noticed his absence," Gobber unhooked his hammer and replaced it with his hook.

"Without his dragon he couldn't have gotten far. Let's go," Gobber said determined. The teens whistled for their dragons and a few seconds later they appeared. Toothless ran down to Stoick from the house, circling for a few seconds. Stoick patted his head and mounted him. Soon they took off with Toothless searching from the ground. He sniffed the ground for every step he made. Stoick looked around with narrowed eyes as he searched for any trace of what could lead him to his son. He couldn't take the thought of having lost track of his son again. For all he knows, he could be hurt or staying away because of him. Then again, they hadn't had any arguments in a few weeks' time.

Toothless sniffed the dirt eagerly. He wouldn't stop until he found his best friend. No matter what happened or what he met on his way, he would always end up with him. Dead or alive. His eyes widened as he sensed his rider's smell. He growled loudly, calling out to the other dragons before he ran forward with Stoick holding on for his dear life.

"Find him boy," Stoick patted his head. Toothless growled in acknowledgement and sped up, running towards a very familiar place of his. He sped up even more as a cliff came up ahead. Stoick's eyes widened in fear. As he was about to shout, Toothless had already jumped down to the ground that hid below. Toothless's slits widened into normal pupils as he ran over to the one-legged Viking lying on the ground. "Hiccup," Stoick whispered, dismounting Toothless. Hiccup's body was curled up in a ball. His hands holding his chest as his body shook uncontrollably. Stoick picked him up in his arms and looked down at his son's face. Hiccup's eyebrows were furrowed in pain and a little trail of blood coming out of his mouth. Stoick stood up, never once looking away from Hiccup's body. He heard the other dragon riders land beside him and run over to them.

"What happened?" Gobber asked concerned. Stoick didn't look up at them.

"I don't know," He said. He laid Hiccup carefully down on the grass and shook his shoulders. "Hiccup. Wake up," He whispered, shaking his shoulders gently. Hiccup groaned in his sleep, clutching his chest harder. Gobber kneeled down, holding Hiccup's hands to remove them. He slowly removed Hiccup's hands, feeling Hiccup's body tense a little, and looked down at his shirt.

"There's nothing there," Gobber said, looking at his chest. Stoick looked down with concern.

"We should get him to the healers," Gobber nodded in agreement. Stoick picked him up and mounted Toothless who set for the healer's hut. When they arrived at the Great Hall, Vikings were staring at them questioningly. Savage walked over to them with a mug of mead in his hand.

"What's going on?" He asked, sounding…concerned? Only a few weeks back had they made the peace treaty and he was already concerned about the other tribe. Stoick, though, didn't seem to notice.

"We don't know. Is there a healer here?" Stoick asked. Savage nodded, gesturing them to follow. They walked past the Vikings glaring at them from their seats on benches and tables and walked in a door by the back of the hall. Their healer, Kenna, saw them and gasped.

"What happened?" She asked, making place for him on the bed. Stoick placed him down and told them what they knew. Kenna nodded and cleared the room to get some space. Stoick was allowed to stay in case something was to happen. Kenna walked over to the side of the bed and lit a candle by the bedside. She laid Hiccup's head to the side and opened his mouth to find nothing suspicious. She gently laid his head back up before removing his tunic. There was a faint black mark on his chest, but nothing else. "What the?" Kenna muttered, running her fingers around the black mark. It looked sort of like a crest. A familiar crest. "I need to get something," Stoick nodded and watched her leave out the door.

Kenna walked out of the hut and searched around. Her eyes met savage and she walked over to him. He stood up along with the teens and Gobber who had been waiting for any answers. "I need to borrow that shield," Kenna said, gesturing to the shield by the table. Savage gave it to her unsure.

"What's going on?" Astrid stepped in.

"We don't know yet," And with that, Kenna walked back in to treat her patient. Stoick looked at her confused when she put the shield in her lap and looked back and forth from the shield and his son. Kenna reached out to touch the mark again but Hiccup sat up straight with wide eyes and screamed. He was awake.


	80. Chapter 80

Hiccup sat up, clutching his chest where the mark was, and screamed. He looked around the room in panic, backing away from the shadow in the room. "Hiccup! Calm down!" Stoick yelled, holding his arm along with Kenna. Hiccup looked at him with wide eyes, breathing heavily. The last thing he remembered was lying in the cove after getting hit by Alvin's sword. He looked down at his chest to find a black mark on his chest. His body shivered and he wrapped his arms around his body. Kenna gave him a blanket that he quickly wrapped around himself as he stared down at the end of the bed.

The door suddenly opened, revealing Astrid with wide eyes. "What's going on?!" She yelled, looking back and forth on the three. Gobber ran in afterwards, panting.

"Sorry chief, we couldn't hold her back," He apologized. Stoick just waved it off and looked at Hiccup, rubbing his back soothingly. He could feel Hiccup's body tremble by only making contact with him. Something must have terrified him, Stoick thought, looking at his son in worry.

"Hiccup?" Stoick whispered, leaning forward to look at him. Hiccup looked down at him with the same wide eyes. His breathing audible in the silent room. He held his chest hard with his hand beneath the blanket and stared horrified into his father's eyes. "Hiccup?" Stoick asked again. Hiccup nodded shakenly. "Can you tell us what happened?" Hiccup nodded slowly, staring back down on the bed as he took a deep breath.

"I…" Hiccup trailed off, closing his eyes. He felt his father hold his hand, giving it a tight squeeze. Hiccup tried to squeeze back but found no strength in his arm to do so.

"It's okay Hiccup. Just tell us what you saw," Stoick said calmly. Hiccup opened his eyes again.

"A-Alvin," Hiccup whispered, barely making a sound. Stoick looked up at Gobber who stood beside him.

"What did you say?" Astrid asked, kneeling down in front of the bed and rested her arms on the bed. She wasn't sure if she'd heard him say something. She noticed Hiccup's hands shaking beneath the blanket. Carefully, she stood up and sat down on the bed in front of him. Gently taking his hands in hers.

"I…I saw Al…Alvin," He said louder than before, looking into her eyes with fear. Astrid looked at his father with wide eyes, unsure if she had heard him right.

"You saw Alvin?" Kenna asked. Before Hiccup answered, he threw the covers away from him and sprinted out the doors. He ran past Fishlegs and Snotlout who surrounded Ruffnut, trying to impress her by giving her the biggest meal. Heather sat beside Tuffnut on the table, laughing a little by the three. Ruffnut sent her a death glare as she pushed them away when they got to close.

"HICCUP!" Astrid yelled, running after him. Heather looked away from Ruff and in an instant ran after her with the others. "Astrid! What's going on?" She yelled, finally catching up to her.

"I don't know. Hiccup just ran out!" She said, opening the Great Hall with force. She looked around the village from the top of the stairs, in search for Hiccup. He sprinted down the stairs and ran through the village, making his way to the bridge that leads to the woods. Astrid whistled for Stormfly and mounted her once she came, and helped Heather on before they set off to follow Hiccup. Stoick came through the doors with Toothless and mounted him, getting a little glimpse of Hiccup before he disappeared behind a mountain.

Hiccup panted as he struggled to run. His stump ached but he didn't care. The adrenaline rushed in his veins and through his body. He had to get to the woods. He turned and ran, slipped but ran, fell but kept going. Nothing was going to stop him. Not even the lungs burning and his throat aching. He heard dragons flapping behind him, encouraging him to go faster. In all honesty, he didn't want them to follow. He wanted to do this on his own. But with Alvin back, he knew he would need the help he got. The only answer was how would he get help when no one believed him.

The familiar cliff came up ahead and he picked up speed. He ran and ran, and then jumped, rolling over as he landed and picked up his balance again before running over to the place he saw Alvin. He looked behind the stones he had appeared from. Nothing. His heart beat faster and his lungs begged for more air. He ran his hand through his hair, looking around in clear panic. He ignored the dragons landing in the cove and ignored the calls from his friends and his father.

"Where is it?" He muttered to himself, looking around his surroundings. He ran over to the place he stood, before he fell unconscious, and looked forward. "Okay, Alvin stood there," Hiccup muttered, looking forward before his eyes landed down to his feet. "And I stood here," he whispered. His eyes widened. He held his chest and looked behind him where he noticed a black object stuck to a tree. Immediately, he ran over to the tree and leaned his right arm to the tree as he inspected it closer.

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" Stoick asked worried. Hiccup held up his left hand, silently telling him to be quiet. He brought his left hand up to the object. He knew what it was. It was the sword Alvin had thrown at him. The sword that had gone straight through him and ended up behind him, leaving nothing there but a black mark.

"I wonder," Hiccup whispered, squinting his eyes as he brought his left hand closer to the sword. As his hand was a single inch from the object, he brought his hand towards it with force, getting ready to hold it, but it went straight through. "What the?" Hiccup asked himself. He brought his hand back and forth, through the sword, but stopped as his hand went black. He held his hand by his wrist as pain rushed through his palm. He let out a scream and fell backwards on his behind.

"Hiccup?!" Astrid yelled, falling down beside him. She held her right hand behind his back and the other trace the line of black that could have easily been mistaken for being a bruise. Hiccup's breath quickened as the pain in his hand worsened. He cried out once more, falling down on the grass as he held his arm closely to his body.

Astrid watched as Hiccup laid down, holding his arm. She tried to do something but didn't know what. She didn't know what was wrong. Her eyes scanned his arm from palm to shoulder and watched as Hiccup gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut. Black veins moved up his forearm, across his biceps and up to his shoulder. She thought it would stop then, but the veins moved to his chest and surrounded the mark. Hiccup screamed out in pain, gasping for air. The black veins soon faded, but the mark on his chest became more visible. Astrid narrowed her eyes to get a better look, but Hiccup held the mark tightly, preventing her from getting a better look.

"Hiccup?" She whispered, cupping his sweaty cheeks. He didn't answer. "Hiccup!"

Stoick kneeled down beside her and looked at the paled face of his son. He looked at Astrid with worry before looking down at his son. His large hand went through Hiccup's head as he grabbed his left shoulder, gently shaking it. Hiccup stirred a little. Stoick calmly whispered his name. Hiccup's eyes slowly opened. "Hiccup?" Hiccup looked up at his father, parting his lips.

"What happened?" He whispered in a voice weak and hoarse. His whole body felt weak as if the energy he had only a couple of minutes ago were drain from him in a second. Stoick sighed in relief. Relief that his son was alright.

"I don't know," Stoick said in all honesty. Hiccup nodded shakenly, wrapping his arm around his cold body. Stoick unattached his fur cloak and wrapped it around Hiccup who held it tightly around him.

Astrid stood up, looking over at the black object that was stuck in the tree. The twins walked over to her, reaching out to touch it. Astrid pushed them away angrily. "Don't touch it!" She growled, giving them a death glare.

"Why not?" Tuffnut whined.

"Didn't you see what just happened?" Astrid asked, placing a hand on her hip. Sometimes she couldn't believe how childish they were.

"We did," Ruffnut started.

"Why else do you think we want to touch it? That thing is awesome!" Tuffnut yelled, throwing his arms up in the air. The two sprinted towards the sword again, but something blocked their way. Fishlegs stood with his arms folded, looking down at the twins who backed away slowly.

"When I think about it, we'll just leave it there," Ruffnut said, earning a nervous nod from his brother. The two stepped away, walking over to Snotlout who stood a couple of feet away from them. Fishlegs rolled his eyes and turned around to Astrid.

Heather walked over to them, holding a stick in her hand. She stood beside the object and looked at Astrid unsure. Astrid nodded, looking at the stick. She felt Snotlout look over her shoulder and the twins doing the same with Heather. Heather brought the stick closer, expecting it to stop once it hit, but it went straight through. She looked up at the others who looked at the black object with wide eyes.

"What is that?" Heather asked, bringing the stick back and forth a few more times.

"Whatever it is, it's not good," Astrid said, standing up straight. She walked over to Hiccup to find him sitting on Toothless with a fur cloak wrapped around him. "How are you feeling?" Hiccup smiled weakly.

"I've been better," He said with a small chuckle.

"Will you come to training today?" Astrid asked. Hiccup nodded a little unsure.

"Probably after I've gotten a bath in the hot springs," He smiled at her. "I'll see you later," With that, the two set off towards his house. Upon arriving there, Hiccup unwrapped his cloak and opened the door, telling Toothless to wait outside. He picked up three towels and brought his satchel that contained new washed clothes, and ran downstairs, mounting Toothless and flew up in the air, having left his father's cloak back in the house for him to get it later.


	81. Chapter 81

When they arrived, they could already feel the warm steam meeting them in the air. Hiccup smiled, landing Toothless down in one of the hot springs. Toothless waited excitedly for him to unstrap the saddle and tail fin. Hiccup smiled and hurried on taking it off before taking his own clothes off, leaving him in only his fabric boxers, and jumping in the spring himself. The two played around in the hot water, relaxing when they got tired. Hiccup had his eyes closed, enjoying the warmth and the calm wind that dried his wet hair slowly, sometimes opening an eye to find Toothless swimming around happily. He opened his eyes with a smirk, grabbing one of the towels and dipping it in the warm water.

"Toothless," He called, walking towards the dragon that swam over to him. "Time to get you washed," He laughed, walking closer to rub the wet towel against the scaly skin. Toothless shrieked, jumping away. "Get back here!" Toothless swam faster away as Hiccup chased him. He looked back once in a while to find Hiccup even closer. Hiccup grabbed a hold of his tail and gently climbed onto his dragon's back.

"Gotcha!" He smiled, rubbing the towel against his scaly back. Toothless growled, swimming down beneath the water where Hiccup held on tightly. He stayed below for a few seconds until going back up. He looked back and smiled. Hiccup frowned, brushing his wet hair away from his eyes. "Would you just stay still? It's not as bad as it seems," Hiccup said, jumping out into the water as he felt colder. He smiled, placing the towel beneath Toothless chin and began washing it. Toothless purred, his eyes narrowing in delight. "You like that huh?" Toothless crooned in response.

Astrid walked through the woods towards the hot springs, hoping to find Hiccup there. If not it would've been a waste of walking all the way to the springs. She heard laughter as she walked up a hill. A smile stretched across her lips as she picked up her pace and ran up. When she got closer, she had hoped to find him dressing up, but instead found him still undressed in the hot spring. She quickly hid behind a bush and watched in hope to get a better look on the mark she had noticed.

Hiccup had his back to her with a smile, washing his dragon in a good mood. He didn't have any clue that Astrid was watching his every step. She looked around and noticed Hiccup's prosthetic was by Hiccup's clothes. Wow, he really has a good balance, she thought amazed. She watched him as he washed Toothless's neck, rubbing the scales with ease. His muscles flexed as he used force on washing his dragon clean. Something Toothless hadn't been before. Her eyes scanned his muscles, not once leaving them. She felt her lips go dry as she stared at him. He was hot, no doubt about that. Though he may not be the brawny kind, because you could still see his bones, just not as much as before, but he was still strong. Maybe even stronger than any of his friends.

One thing her eyes caught sight of, was the scars. The whip marks from his time on Outcast Island. Astrid shuddered at the thought. All the memories of finding him tortured and bringing his lifeless body back to the ship. She looked up at his face, noticing the healed scratch across his right eyebrow. The sun shone on his face, and his scar shining up like the water reflects the sun at times. It went from a little above his eyebrow across his eyebrow and down past his eye, stopping a little beneath it. His eyebrow was cut from hair where his scar went. It made him look tough and could make him look scary to strangers, but for those who knew him, wouldn't be afraid of him because of a battle scar. They all knew he was the same awkward, yet intelligent, boy from three years back.

Astrid decided she had watched too long without any answers and walked out, revealing herself.

Hiccup whistled a tune he was all too familiar with. He remembered Gobber whistling it in the forge whenever he felt lonely. One day he asked him what the song was called and Gobber had answered. "It's called For the Dancing and the Dreaming lad," Hiccup also remembered how Gobber had told him that it was his father and mother's tune. The one song they sang on their wedding day. Hiccup had always wanted to sing that song for the one he would marry, to honor his mother, but that was to wait for now. Though, that didn't mean he never sang it.

Hiccup rubbed the towel against Toothless left front paw, hearing the familiar purrs from his dragon, when suddenly a twig snapped. Toothless shot up defensively, growling at the trees behind his rider. Hiccup turned around, slowly reaching out for his prosthetic.

"Easy there dragon boy," Hiccup's eyes widened. In an instant, he sank lower to cover up his undressed body. Astrid walked out of the bushes with arms crossed. She rolled her eyes as she noticed how he covered up his body. Now he's shy? Astrid asked herself, thinking back to the day she found Hiccup walking out of the forge shirtless.

"Hi-hey…uhm hi As-Astrid…," He said shyly, barely having his head over the edge. "T-this is awkward…," Hiccup said, nervously scratching the back of his neck. Astrid rolled her eyes and walked over to him, leaning over the edge only a few inches away from his face.

"Your father sent me to get you," Hiccup nodded for her to continue. "Sven's sheep are loose. Turns out they had been during the whole invasion," Hiccup looked at her in disbelief.

"What? But the invasion stopped like two weeks ago!" Hiccup exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Yeah, well apparently Sven also complained about the messy road to his farm," Hiccup groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"I'll add that to the list then," He said. Hiccup stood up and whistled for Toothless. Toothless came over to him and covered him up with his wing as they stepped out of the hot springs. "You mind?" Hiccup asked, turning to Astrid who was sitting on a rock, staring with her head in her palm.

"Nope," She smiled, popping the 'p'. Hiccup rolled his eyes once again and strapped on his prosthetic. He stood up and put on the rest of his clothes, using the last towel to dry his hair. Toothless uncovered him and walked over to Astrid who stood up. Hiccup grabbed his saddle and started working on strapping it to his back and tail.

"Let me guess, he wants me to gather the sheep and build a new barrier?" Astrid shook her head.

"No, he wants us, as in us and the rest of the academy, to get them," Hiccup nodded as he finished strapping the saddle and tail to Toothless.

"All done!" He smiled, walking over to the saddle. He was about to jump on when Astrid stopped him. "What?" She smiled evilly.

"Not yet dragon boy. You're still missing one thing," She smiled, taking a handful of his hair on the right side behind his ear.

"Argh, come on Astrid. Braids are for women," Hiccup groaned, standing still so he wouldn't cause any pain to himself.

"No, they're for both women and men. For men they're to show the affection of the other and mark them as yours," She smiled, beginning on the second braid. "And for women it's to keep the hair away," Hiccup nodded calmly.

"Okay- wait what?" Astrid laughed, jumping onto Toothless. Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he looked up at her. "So does that mean…you like me?" Astrid punched his shoulder and rolled her eyes.

"Did it really take you that long to figure?" Hiccup looked away, muttering something to himself. "Now come on, your father is waiting," She said, dragging him onto Toothless. Toothless growled in agreement. Tired of waiting on the two of them. Hiccup rolled his eyes and strapped his prosthetic to the stirrup. Toothless flew up in the air once Astrid wrapped her arms securely around Hiccup's waist and Hiccup extended the tailfin.

"You know, if you want me to be with you, you could just say so," Hiccup smiled, looking at her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" Hiccup chuckled, looking forward as the village came into view. The sun was just setting, making the sight of Berk look beautiful. Hiccup wouldn't have asked if it wasn't a perfect time like this. He was sure if he did it someday it rained, Astrid would've mocked him for that if she said yes.

"If I did, would you say yes?" Hiccup teased, smiling from ear to ear. He didn't feel nervous for her answer, because deep, deep down, he knew she would say what he wanted to hear. And there was no doubt about that.

"Let's see," Astrid teased back, looking up at Hiccups face, trying to stop herself from smiling widely. "Yes," She smiled, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the moment. Unfortunately, the moment didn't last very long as the sound of sheep rang in their ears. She looked below them to find a pack of sheep running into the woods. Astrid nudged Hiccup's shoulder. "Down there," She pointed to the sheep just before they went out of sight.

"Let's go," Hiccup said, steering Toothless down for a dive. Right before they were about to crash, Hiccup pulled up and chased the sheep. Toothless sped up and swooped down closer. "Here they come!" Hiccup warned. He turned around to face Astrid who held tightly onto his waist. "Hold on," She nodded and held him tighter as Toothless grabbed two sheep and glided with his back facing the ground. Hiccup grabbed the last sheep before Toothless turned back around and then flew up in the air, heading for the farm. "Good job bud," Toothless growled proudly.

Astrid smiled at the two, happy to see such a powerful bond. She always herd Hiccup compliment everyone whenever someone did something. No matter the reason. He always encouraged people around him with his words, and she was proud of him for that.

As they rounded the last corner, they saw their friends with their dragons looking up at them. Toothless landed lightly on the ground after dropping the two sheep in his paws. Hiccup unhooked his prosthetic and jumped down, placing the sheep down before he helped Astrid down.

"Look who decided to show up," Tuffnut rolled his eyes, leaning on Belch's horns in boredom. The two walked over to them.

"Ooh, someone hasn't collected any sheep for the competition," Snotlout nudged Astrid playfully, winking at her. Hiccup came over to her, wrapping an arm around her with a smile.

"First of all Snotlout, she's the one who collected the sheep. Not me," Snotlout snorted. Astrid turned around to look at him with a questioning look, but Hiccup continued. "And second, what competition?"

"The sheep catching competition?" Ruffnut sassed, leaning her head on Barf's head lazily.

"Guys, this isn't a competition," Hiccup tried to reason with them.

"Uh, yes it is?" Tuffnut said, straightening up.

"No, this is just a task from silent Sven," Hiccup said.

"We may have forgotten to tell you that," Hiccup looked at Astrid questioningly.

"Forgotten to tell me what exactly?" He asked.

"Silent Sven broke his silence. It's so cool it makes my ears ring," Tuffnut cheered, gesturing to his ears. Hiccup rolled his eyes. Out in the distance they heard a hideous sound. Everyone covered their ears.

"That would be him," Fishlegs said, mounting Meatlug before he set off in hope to get anywhere else than that voice. Hiccup looked up in the sky to see his friends flying off, leaving only him, Astrid and Heather behind with silent Sven approaching them. Hiccup walked over to Astrid, giving her a peck on her cheek before he walked towards silent Sven.

"I'll see you two ladies later," Hiccup smiled before getting back to work.

Heather looked at the two confused. Of course Astrid and Hiccup hadn't come out official yet, but she could still see the little connection between the two. Though, it did make her confused, so she decided to ask.

"Are you two…," Heather trailed off with a smile, expecting Astrid to continue on.

"Oh shut up," Astrid rolled her eyes, punching her shoulder. She whistled Stormfly over and mounted her before she turned to Heather with a smile, holding out her hand. "And yes, we're official," Heather smiled, jumping onto Stormfly and the two set off towards the village.

It didn't take them long to arrive, considering the distance between the village and the farm. From above, they could see the Vikings repairing the last of the houses. They had made sure to make room for Hiccup's new plans for making the village stronger. No one, but Hiccup, Gobber and Stoick had seen the plans, but everyone knew they existed.


	82. Chapter 82

Hiccup landed in front of his house, looking up at the sky. Dragons swooped down, grabbing sheep's, followed shortly after by sounds of cheering Vikings. "What are you guys doing?!" Hiccup shouted, watching the academy entertain the Vikings who had stopped working to watch. He patted Toothless's head and followed after Snotlout. "Snotlout, would you please tell me what you guys are doing?" Snotlout laughed, putting the sheep beneath his arm.

"We're enjoying the dragon sheep racing competition," Snotlout said, holding up the sheep. "And it looks like they enjoy it too," He gestured down to the Vikings bellow and flew off. Hiccup groaned.

"Toothless, would you mind?" Toothless landed in the town's square where baskets were laid out and sheep laid in them. He sucked in a long breath before letting out the mightiest roar Hiccup had ever heard. The dragons flying around with riders holding sheep stopped harshly and landed down in front of the acting chief and his night fury with their own riders. All attention was brought to them.

Hiccup crossed his arms, looking at them in disbelief. He walked closer to them and eyed them suspiciously. "Tell me," He started, looking at the twins. "Who was the one to come up with this insane, dangerous way of racing?" He asked, eying the twins.

"Why does he always look directly at us when he says that?" Tuffnut whispered.

"No idea," Ruffnut answered, trying to stay calm. Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked at the other four teens. Astrid stepped forward. Hiccup raised an eyebrow. He didn't believe Astrid was alone in it. That was obvious. What he wanted to believe was that they could all stand together like a team. She was about to open her mouth when Heather stepped forward, shortly followed by Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins.

"It was our entire fault," They said in unison, looking down ashamed. Hiccup smiled, looking at them proudly.

Astrid looked up for a second, expecting to hear Hiccup talk about how disappointed he was in them for disobeying his orders, but instead he looked happy. Scratch that, he looked proud. Astrid held her head in its normal height and looked at him confused.

"Why are you smiling?" This made her friends look at him too.

"I'm smiling because you six worked as a team," Hiccup started. "You worked as a team and pushed your selfishness behind you. And for that, I am proud of you," Hiccup smiled warmly. He turned to look at the villagers and outcasts watching them. "The race will be," The teens looked at him excitedly, waiting for him to continue. "Official from now on," The whole crowd erupted in cheers. Hiccup felt Astrid presence and turned around, only to be punched. He rubbed his sore spot. "Why did you do that?!"

"That's for making us ashamed of ourselves," Hiccup could see the others nodding in the background. Astrid pulled him closer by his tunic and pressed her lips to his, pulling away shortly after. "And that's for everything else," She smiled. Hiccup laughed as Astrid ruffled his hair. "Now on with that hair of yours, it's going to need a cut," Hiccup's eyes widened. There were many things he didn't like, like the annual stump day that's in a few weeks-time and Astrid's Yaknog, but he didn't fear anything more than Astrid cutting his hair. In an instant he pushed his way through the cheering crowd and disappeared behind the houses.

Stoick watched his son, with Gobber, run away from his soon-to-be-daughter-in-law with a smile. He had heard the whole speech he had given his friends. Instead of throwing his anger out on them, he talked to them with a proud attitude, announced something that could be the best sport any Viking had every witnessed. He was proud of his son, there was no doubt in that, and he wasn't one bit angry for the decision of the new sport. He was happy that his son could make his own decisions for both himself and the village. Hiccup was indeed, ready to be chief anytime soon. They both knew that.

Hiccup hid behind a building, poking his head out by the edge but moved away as he saw his friends and their dragons go through the crowd. "Get Hiccup," Hiccup could hear Astrid say to the others. He heard a familiar night fury call and ran. He knew if Toothless found him, then the others would find him too, and that was something he really didn't want.

"Sorry bud," Hiccup whispered, moving behind buildings. Looking up, he found Meatlug and Fishlegs flying above him. Quickly, he jumped behind a barrel until they were gone. With a sigh of relief, he looked out in the streets as he made his way towards his house where he noticed his father entering it and closing the door behind him. Taking a quick decision, he looked up in the sky to find the dragons and their riders looking the other way, and took a run for it. His chest burned and breath quickened, but he managed to get inside without being noticed. He let out a deep breath, leaning against the front door with a sigh.

"Something wrong son?" Hiccup heard his father said. Even though he just saw him come here, he was still shocked out of his boot.

"Wrong? Nothing-Nothing is ever wrong!" Hiccup chuckled nervously, earning a frown from Stoick. "Fine," Hiccup gave up with a sigh, sitting down by the fire pit. "My friends are chasing me because they want me to get my hair cut," Stoick looked at him confused.

"Why is that a problem?" Hiccup sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Cutting my hair isn't a problem, I was actually going to ask Gobber later, but you know how Astrid is with traditions," Stoick nodded, holding his belly as he remembered the taste of her drink two years ago. "And, you know, since it's tradition that the woman, or girl in this situation, does everything for the one she loves-

"She loves you?" Stoick asked, grinning widely.

"I think so, she is my girlfriend," Hiccup said, looking at him scared.

"GRANDBABIES! FINALLY! ODIN, I thought I had to meet up with you in Valhalla to make this happen!"

"What? We-We're not married!" Hiccup blushed madly.

"Not yet," Stoick said, wiggling his eyebrows. Hiccup blushed deeper, throwing a blanket over his father.

"Can we get back on topic now?" Stoick nodded, still smiling. "So, you know, since she's not exactly as good as doing traditions as she's with coming up with them," Stoick looked at him, nodding in agreement. "And now I'm running because she tries to cut my hair."

"Let me guess. You don't want her to cut your hair," Hiccup nodded, but his eyes widened when he noticed what he'd said.

"NO-I mean, no…It's not that. I just don't want to end up looking like Gobber," He blushed, looking down at his feet, playing with them. Stoick chuckled, nodding. There was an awkward silence until Stoick remembered the announcement earlier.

"I heard your speech earlier today," Stoick smiled like an idiot. Hiccup looked at him with wide eyes. He hadn't expected his father to have heard it, but then again, it is his village.

"Oh gods, I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you dad, really, but I got held up and-

"Hiccup," Stoick chuckled, kneeling down beside his son. He placed his hand on his shoulder, making Hiccup look at him. What he saw wasn't disappointment or disapproval like he had expected, no, the only thing he could see was his father's eyes shining with pride. "It's okay," He said softly. Hiccup looked at him, confusion screaming from his eyes. "In fact, it's better than okay!" Stoick said, grinning from ear to ear.

"It is?" Hiccup asked, a little unsure of what his father meant. How could his father be okay with it? He just made a decision that included the future of his father's people, without the real chief himself!

"Oh, I got so many ideas! We could get face paint, and better baskets-

"Woah, woah, woah, hang on a minute!" Hiccup said, trying to force his smile away but failed. He laughed at his father's childishness. "You're not mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Stoick asked, losing his smile.

"Why shouldn't you be? I made a decision that should have been made with you! I'm not the chief!" Hiccup said, gesturing to Stoick's belt and cloak. It was traditional that the chiefs of Berk wore them to honor the legacy of chief's earlier on Berk.

"Listen Hiccup," Stoick cleared his throat. "I know you're not chief yet, but soon you will. You're almost on age for getting titled as chief and I'm almost off age. I don't know when I decide to retire, but when I do, you have to be ready to make such decisions not just for the people of Berk, but maybe for other islands as well!" Hiccup sighed, looking away from his father's eyes.

"But I don't want to be chief," he whispered, looking at the flames beside them. Stoick sighed.

"I'm sorry son. Unless you want Snotlout to take over for you, you're going to have to take the title after me," Hiccup looked up at his father who slowly stood up. "Now come on, let's get you that haircut," Stoick said, standing up. Hiccup looked at him with wide eyes, backing away.

"Not you too!" Hiccup groaned, running up the stairs before his father could push him out the door. He jumped out the window and landed outside, but regretted as soon as he heard a voice calling his name. Looking up he saw Astrid swooping down on Stormfly who got ready to grab him by his shoulders. Hiccup screamed, dodging the kidnappers and ran down the hill before disappearing behind the armory.

"He went down that way!" Astrid yelled to Snotlout, pointing behind the armory. Snotlout nodded and steered Hookfang down with an evil smirk. "AND DON'T SET THE BUILDING ON FIRE!" Astrid called out before taking another turn. Snotlout groaned, stopping Hookfang from firing. He caught eye of Hiccup's prosthetic around the corner, soon to be followed by a sound. Hookfang rounded the corner to find Hiccup jumping on top a wheelbarrow before jumping up on a roof top, heading towards the twins.

"HE'S HEADING YOUR WAY BABE!" Snotlout smiled, winking at her from the distance.

Hiccup almost lost balance while laughing at the so called 'romance' between the two.

"Got him!" Ruffnut yelled, concentrating on steering her dragon. Belch bumped into her side, making her push Tuffnut off the saddle. The three, including Barf and Belch, crash landed on the ground below the house Tuffnut was thrown to.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Hiccup heard Tuffnut yelled before he fell off the roof, landing on Ruffnut.

"Get off of me!" Ruffnut yelled at her brother, pushing him away, and once again, the two started fighting. Hiccup jumped off the roof, landing safe and sound on the ground, just in time to get away from Hookfang's claws. He let out a deep breath, hearing another crash landing, followed by an 'oof'. He looked to his side, finding Snotlout and Hookfang in a pile of apples.

Hiccup looked around himself. Snotlout and Hookfang were sprawled on the ground and the same for the twins. It looked like a mess, but the villagers didn't seem to mind. They were watching the academy trying catch their acting chief. It was indeed entertaining.

"Looks like we've got another way of blowing off some steam!" Fishlegs said, pointing to the crowd. Hiccup nodded, not having noticed he stood right behind him until he felt huge arms wrap around his chest.

"Take his leg!" Fishlegs shouted, struggling to keep Hiccup still. Hiccup trashed, trying to get away. This was what he had feared. That this moment would come. This was it, Hiccup thought, but that didn't stop him. He managed to push Fishlegs off of him before he began running away.

"Haha!" Hiccup laughed, running away again. He heard someone screaming, and turned around just in time to find Ruff and Tuff jumping on him. The three fell to the ground with a harsh thud. Hiccup kicked, pushing himself up with the two still on him but felt someone unstrap his leg. The twins let go of him and Hiccup sighed, feeling defeated. "Okay, okay, you got me," He flipped over to his side, leaning on his hands. Looking up, he found Gobber holding his prosthetic and Astrid standing beside him holding a scissor in her left hand and a comb in the other.

Toothless nudged his side, helping him up on his back. Hiccup leaned down, as they followed Astrid and Gobber to the forge, and whispered, "Can you get me out of here?" Toothless snorted, shaking his head. "Aren't you supposed to be the loyal one here?" Hiccup groaned, lying back in the saddle. He felt himself getting lifted off the saddle with a pair of huge hands and put down in a chair.

Astrid smiled, leaning down to Hiccup's ear.

"Now stay still or you'll never get your leg back," Hiccup sighed, laying his hands in his lap as he waited for her to begin. He could hear Gobber giving her advices by the other side of his head. Astrid tried out the scissors, sending shivers down Hiccup's spine, and began cutting. Hiccup closed his eyes as she moved in front of him. Each cut send shivers down his spine and he couldn't help but shudder. Though, each time he did, Astrid slapped his shoulder. "And you're finished!" Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut, showing her he didn't want to look.

"Do I dare open my eyes?" He could practically feel Astrid roll her eyes.

"Don't be such a baby," Hiccup sighed and opened his eyes, looking into the mirror in front of him.

"Wow," He breathed out, holding up the mirror as he moved his head to the side to examine his new hairstyle. It was shaggier than usual, the darker parts shadowing the lighter hair color perfectly. "This is amazing," Hiccup said, smiling like an idiot up at her. "Thank you," She smiled, pecking his cheek before kneeling down next to him. She grabbed a lock of his hair behind his right ear. "What are you doing?"

"Giving it a last touch," Astrid smiled, tying the braid before starting on the next. Hiccup took up the mirror and looked at the two braids she finished.

"You know two braids means bad luck if you're not around right?" Hiccup gulped. He hadn't noticed everyone else but Toothless and Stormfly had left.

"That's why I'll always be with you," She smiled, giving him back his prosthetic. He bent down to strap it down, taking a few short glances up at her.

"SO that means you'll stay with me while I'm chiefing, bathing later and also as I make my new leg?" Astrid blushed at the thought of watching Hiccup bath, though she had already seen half of it.

"Not while you're bathing –wait, new leg? What's wrong with this one?" Astrid asked, pointing down at his prosthetic.

"It's getting too small. I barely keep myself from falling while I run," Astrid nodded in understanding. Hiccup ruffled his hair with a bent head to remove the last loose locks of hair.

"Then I guess I'll be staying with you later to make sure you don't burn yourself," She smiled before walking away to be with the others. Hiccup sighed and went over to his father, with Toothless trailing behind, getting ready for another day of acting chief.


	83. Chapter 83

Evening came for the acting chief and his night fury. They walked down the path from the Great Hall, saying a few good nights to his people who were on his way to their houses. He had just checked up on the people in the Great Hall whom still hadn't a roof and four walls like mostly everyone. He Made sure they stayed warm enough through the night, had enough food and supplies to make breakfast the next day and that no one was injured from the day's work. Unfortunately, some of them were.

Hiccup walked along side Toothless, flipping back and forth in his notebook as he checked off the last few things that's needed to do before he got free time. With a sigh, he turned the page, after checking the list three times over, and looked at his sketches of his new leg. He designed it to no make any squeaking noises as he walked, but it was far more different than that. Not only did he design it for its look, but also for the new saddle he had thought of making along with a new armor. He had decided, in his time at chief training, that he would make the armor a little special. Many times had he seen his friends in their armor and each time he did, he just couldn't wait to start, but of course he had more important matters to do before he could start.

They reached the forge after a quiet walk through the empty streets of Berk. It was quite, other than the sound of fire, but not an uncomfortable quietness. More like an appreciating one after such long day of working and running from the haircutter. He had to admit, it was better than he'd expected. Even better than what Gobber usually did.

The fire lit up the forge, casting shadows to everything in the room. Toothless settled down by the door after Hiccup unstrapped the saddle since he would need it later. The thing he needed to make first was his new leg. He would need it if he something were to happen in the middle of the night. You never know when something could happen.

Hiccup grabbed a log behind the forge and placed it on one of the tables. He walked over to the tools and grabbed a measurer before sitting down in a chair to measure his leg. He measured both his legs to see how much he need to replace the old leg with, mostly since it was always at its lowest point to keep him from walking obliquely. He noted the number and started with warming the metal.

"Oh, almost didn't see you there," Hiccup smiled, not turning around. He heard Astrid walk in behind him. Pretending as if he hadn't heard her, he went back to work. Soon he felt soft, small hands block his vision. "Guess who it is," The voice of an angel said. Hiccup smiled.

"Could it be an angel?" He smirked, feeling his girlfriend silence her giggle.

"You're going to have to name her," Hiccup dropped his tools and brought his hand up to his chin, thinking.

"Let me see…Astrid as in a divine beauty?" He smiled, turning around and wrapped his arms around her slim waist.

"Astrid would be just fine," Astrid said, giggling. Her hands snaked around his neck, tip toing up as she pecked his lips lightly. Hiccup smiled, pulling her closer. Astrid pulled away with a smile. "Now what is my chief working on right now?" Astrid teased.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, turning around to show her his sketch. He sat down in the chair with Astrid sitting on his lap. "I'm making the new leg I was talking about," Astrid looked through the sketches in awe. He wasn't just a good drawer, but also inventor. It looked really advanced.

"Need any help?" She asked, looking back at him. Hiccup nodded and went over to the drawing again.

"As you see, these," Hiccup pointed at the grey colored pieces, "are made of metal, and in shields they have metal nails that could work perfectly for the small pieces in the wood. You could remove them from the shield while I make the main part," Astrid nodded and went behind the forge to get one of the old shields along with a metal pinch before she started taking them out.

Hiccup went over to the hot metal and grabbed it with his own pinch before holding it down as he pounded the hot metal. They had a long way of work ahead of them.

Savage walked through the village, taking in the sight of Berk. He'd never really

* * *

taken time to look at Berk, but since him and his men were leaving the day after he decided he would take a look. It was beautiful, in fact, amazing. Dragons slept outside houses or on top of the stronger ones. As he looked at the buildings, the colors and carvings off wood, he couldn't understand why someone would ever want it to disappear. He was afraid of Alvin, everyone was, but never left his side because he knew no one would take him in. They were savages, and now they are allies with a land full of peacemakers.

He respected the Berkians, more than he had ever really respected Alvin, and most of the reasons for that was because he knew there was no need to be afraid of them. They didn't threaten to kill someone if they did a mistake. They didn't train dragons just for the sake of being powerful; they did it for the sake of living. They did it so the world would become a better place and safer for both human and dragon. And most of all, they did it for so they could protect the innocent Vikings and dragons around from danger and madmen like Alvin.

Savage knew if anyone knew who the Berkians were, they wouldn't hesitate to retreat from a war set with them, but unfortunately some didn't retreat. Just like an old ally of the outcasts. The Berserkers. They knew about the Berkians way of living and knew who was responsible for it. They were just like the outcasts back in time before they made peace. Savage decided he needed to warn them before it was too late.

He made his way towards the chief's house, knowing Stoick wasn't asleep just yet. Before knocking on the door, he noticed a figure luring towards the Great Hall. He squinted his eyes, hiding around the corner of the house. One name. Mildew. He walked up the stairs, constantly looking around him as if he was afraid of being seen. But then he called for someone's name. Someone's name that sent chills down Savage's spine.

"Alvin?" Savage's eyes widened. He carefully walked closer, sneaking behind a statue to hear more clearly.

"Aah, so the Berkian's haven't found you yet?" Alvin's voice rang in Savage's ears. The wrinkly face of Alvin revealed itself from the shadows. Savage could have sworn he saw Mildew's feet tremble in fear.

"No sir, I've been hiding now that your men are still here," Mildew said, bowing slightly.

"Good. Keep it that way," Alvin circled Mildew, looking up in the sky in deep thought and his hands behind his back. "Is the plan in action yet?" Mildew shook his head, holding his staff closer to himself in a horrified position.

"The Hofferson girl won't leave him alone, and for me to accomplish it, your men will have to be gone," Alvin nodded, fighting the urge to strangle the cranky old man. He wasn't known for his patience.

"Find a way to get to that boy, get him to me alive," Mildew nodded, watching Alvin disappear into a shadow. Savage heard Mildew sigh in relief as the old man made his way towards the woods. He mentally noted himself to tell them later, but now he had matters to discuss with the chief.

* * *

"And here comes the hard part," Hiccup sighed. They had finished making the material and carving out the wood parts. Hiccup turned the leg trying to make it change the prosthetic to the other prototype. He turned it, but something made it stuck. Hiccup groaned, taking the pinch and started to pull out some of the bolts. He replaced it with a bigger one and turned it once more. It went past the bolt but stopped on another one. With a sigh, he started replacing the small bolts with bigger ones, having Astrid look over his shoulder. He placed the last bolt back in place before taking a deep breath and turning it. "It worked," Hiccup gasped, grinning widely.

Astrid smiled, leaning her chin on Hiccups head with her hands wrapped his neck. "Come on, try it on!" Astrid said enthusiastically. Hiccup nodded and bent down, unstrapping his old leg before strapping on the new one. Astrid helped him up and didn't let go of his hands before she was sure he had his balance on the new leg. Hiccup looked down, pushing more weigh over on his left foot than his right. He smiled, taking a step forward as he looked up at Astrid and pulled her in for a hug.

"Thank you," Astrid smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "It would have taken so much longer if you didn't help," Astrid rolled her eyes playfully.

"It only took us a couple of hours, but you're welcome," They pulled away and smiled before turning to the notebook. Hiccup turned the page, explaining the new design of Toothless saddle, and so they set to work.

* * *

"Ready to test it out milady?" Hiccup asked, patting the saddle strapped to Toothless's back. Toothless smiled widely, nudging Astrid out towards the sun rising on the horizon. He warbled happily, looking at her and then back at the horizon where the sun rose beautifully among the colors of yellow and red.

The two had just finished making the new special saddle for Toothless that could fit together with Hiccup's new prosthetic. It was a unique saddle with special 'abilities', as you could call them. Hiccup decided she would explain the different things when it was done and time for trying, but he sometimes did explain a few things when Astrid refused to continue unless he answered.

"Sure, but I prefer on my own dragon's back, just in case you two decide to go a little crazy," Astrid smirked, whistling for her dragon. Hiccup looked up in the air as they heard a squawk above. Astrid smiled as her dragon landed on the ground in front of her. She scratched her chin, turning to Hiccup who sat on Toothless. "When were you going to get those saddles finished? Snotlout keeps complaining about the extra fire burns he gets from Hookfang," Hiccup laughed, attaching his leg to the saddle.

"I was working on them the other day. Should probably be done in a few days," Hiccup said, quickly adding, "tops," Astrid nodded, jumping on her dragon's back, holding on to the left overs of her saddle. It wasn't much but enough to keep herself from falling when flying.

"Alright then, let's get goin-

"Mind if we join you?" A voice cut her off from behind. The four turned around to find Snotlout on Hookfang in the air along with Fishlegs, the twins and their dragons behind them.

"Not at all," Hiccup smiled at them before making sure once again that everything was in place. He patted Toothless's head and the two were airborne.


	84. Chapter 84

Savage walked in the streets of Berk, searching for Hiccup. Stoick said he hadn't come back for the night and suggested he was in the forge, but upon reaching the forge, Hiccup was nowhere to be seen. Though he could tell he didn't leave too long ago by the warmth.

He sighed in frustration, kicking the dirt angrily. He had important matters to tell him about and not to mention his eavesdropping the night before. Savage was a little unsure if telling him would work, because who would believe that someone dead was back to life. It was insane, yes, but also a chance he would take. He knew what consequences waited for him if he didn't warn someone.

The night before, when he had warned Stoick about the Berserkers, he also warned him about Mildew. He told him everything. From the time Mildew allied with Alvin to get Hiccup back to their island and back to the day Hiccup made peace with them.

Savage traveled the streets in hurry, asking every Viking he passed for their acting chief. He was nowhere to be found, and neither were the teens.

"You ready bud?" Toothless growled in acknowledgement. They were closing in on the sea stacks as Hiccup pulled the lever, unattached his leg and laid flat on the saddle with his hand holding onto the handles of the saddle. They sped up towards the sea stacks, Hiccup pulling from left to right as small ones blocked their path, and flew up and down a couple of times to get used to the method. As they were a couple of meters away from the sea stacks, Hiccup sat up and flicked the tail with his right boot while attaching his prosthetic back into the stirrup along with changing the handle to a more appropriate one. He yelled out in joy as the two steered left and right past the sea stacks and up in the air as their bath was blocked.

"IT WORKED!" Hiccup yelled, smiling widely as Toothless stopped flying, letting the two fall backwards happily. He turned them back around as the water came in sight, and the two made their way towards their friends. "Man, why didn't I make this earlier," Hiccup grinned, patting Toothless's head as they closed up on their friends. They slowed down and flew next to each other, enjoying the cold morning.

"You better me a saddle like that!" Snotlout pointed out, flying closer to him. Hiccup face palmed.

"Snotlout, your dragon doesn't need an extra tail," He stated, gesturing to Hookfang's tail.

"Then you better make me a better one," Hiccup rolled his eyes at him, but couldn't keep his grin from showing. Hiccup was about to open his mouth but Fishlegs came beside him and asked. "Can you show me how it works?" Hiccup nodded and motioned for them to follow him towards the woods. They landed in raven point a couple of seconds later where Hiccup sat on the saddle as the others dismounted theirs and crowded around him.

"Okay so this," Hiccup pointed down at his right strap where he pressed his boot back and forth. He looked behind him to see the tail reacting a little. "This is my reserve controller of the tail. If something happens with my prosthetic-

"When did you get a new boot?" Tuffnut butted in. Everyone turned to look at him. "What? Just curious,"

"The old one was too small so I got myself a new one and added a few things to it," Hiccup told him.

"Told you he had changed," Tuffnut smirked, nudging his sister's shoulder. Hiccup looked at him confused.

"Changed?" Hiccup asked confused. Astrid mentally groaned. She wanted to tell him what Tuffnut meant by that, but found out it would only sound so cheesy and un-Astrid like. Tuffnut opened his mouth to comment back but Fishlegs nervously pushed some grass in his face.

"Never mind him," Fishlegs smiled nervously. "You were saying?" He gestured to his right leg.

"Right," Hiccup snapped out of the previously subject and moved back to the one he was interrupted with. "If something happens with my prosthetic, like it breaks or-

"Yeah, it breaks because of the new body weight of yours," Tuffnut smirked. Hiccup groaned, seeing Fishlegs get ready to push some more grass in his mouth.

"Okay, what do you mean?" Hiccup asked, getting tired of his friends not telling him something. He knew it was about him and that was what bugged him the most. He got irritated that his friends kept something from him when it was about him, personally too. Astrid butted in before Tuffnut could say something stupid.

"What he means is that you've changed from the three years you were gone," She explained quickly. Hiccup's tensed body relaxed as he sighed. It wasn't anything bad.

"He's still a fishbone though," Snotlout chuckled, crossing his arms. Hiccup rolled his eyes. He had always been called a fishbone by him in his younger teens, but it wasn't insulting anymore because he had gotten so used to it. Though, he was still a little uncomfortable by the insults. Astrid noticed him stiffen and walked over to Snotlout with her arms crossed.

"He's my fishbone so back off," She growled, pointing a finger at him. Snotlout brought his hands up in defense, backing away a little. "Go on," She said, gesturing to the saddle. Hiccup nodded, silently thanking her.

"As I said, if anything was to happen and I wouldn't be able to use my left leg, then I'd be able to steer Toothless with my right. Usually it would just make the tailfin change position as my prosthetic keeps it in place. Basically I can use both my legs to steer the saddle," The five nodded. Hiccup unattached his leg from the saddle so he could move better. He decided not to show them as he laid on his stomach after having seen how Ruffnut stared at him. It was sort of creeping him out.

"To get more speed, I lie back in the saddle to prevent the wind from pushing me back in the saddle and slow us down. While I do that, I have to change the handle," Hiccup showed them the handle he used as he would when he flew normal, and moved over to the one in the center of it. "It makes everything much easier," The teens thought he was finished, but he quickly added," it's also to prevent any pain in the back," They muttered agreements, holding their backs a little as they winced at the thought of when they rode their dragons with bent backs. Hiccup looked at them and secretly smiled. At least now he knew what he could make for their saddles.

Hiccup jumped off of Toothless to stretch his legs, and yawned a little. He hadn't slept in a while and it wouldn't be such a bad idea to get a nap. But he had chiefing to do.

"Hey, where's Heather?" Hiccup asked out of the blue. Not really having noticed before since she was always riding behind Astrid and never really spoke that much. They looked around themselves confused and ended up looking at Astrid.

"Don't look at me, I was helping Hiccup all night," She took her hands up defensively. "She's probably back in the village resting. It's still pretty early."

"Yeah, well I should get back to the village," Hiccup said, taking a hold of the handle to the saddle.

"Wait!" Snotlout yelled, walking over to him. "When will you start training us again in the academy?" Hiccup honestly forgot about his role in the academy, that he was the leader.

"When I'm released from being chief," Snotlout nodded, stepping away to give room for them to lift off the ground.

All of a sudden something wrapped itself around the five teens, sending them against the ground a couple of meters away. A bola had trapped them. Someone had fired a bola. Hiccup pulled out his dagger and ran over to them, only to have the dragons getting trapped in bola's one by one. He was the only left standing. A sickening laugh came from behind the trees. Hiccup squinted his eyes, seeing a shadow by the trees. He had a feeling something of this had to do with him, so he carefully dropped his dagger and pushed it back to the others with his boot.

Hiccup could hear the growls of the dragons grow as the shadow approached the daylight, but he also heard something else. He heard a muffled scream and someone kicking and trashing, making more twigs break. Slowly he made his way towards the shadow, a little unsure.

"I wouldn't get any closer if you want your dear friend here to live," Hiccup's eyes widened. He'd recognize that voice from anywhere. No one else, but one man, had that horrifying voice that scraped in someone-s ears and sent chills down their spines. No one, but Mildew the Cantankerous, but who was he talking about? All of his friends were tied up behind him, safer than he was. Did he have allies that would ambush them if he made a move? Maybe the Outcasts tricked them. No, they wouldn't, Hiccup's mind screamed at him.

The sounds of muffled screams and calls for almost inaudible helps got louder and as soon as Mildew stepped out of his hiding spot, he felt his throat tighten.

"Heather," He breathed out, his face full of shock. Her hands were tied behind her back, wrist grabbed roughly by Mildew, and her mouth covered by a cloth. Visible tears rolled down her cheeks, reflecting the sunlight. "Let her go Mildew," Hiccup warned, standing in his spot even though he didn't want to do anything else than throw Mildew away from her. Mildew pulled out a dagger, pressing it dangerously hard against her throat. Hiccup fought the urge of screaming out at him, in fear for his friend, but he had to stay strong since he was their only hope of getting safely out of the situation.

Mildew let go of her wrist but held the dagger on her throat. He kept his eyes locked with Hiccup's, not daring to break the eye contact, and took out a bottle from his cloak. Hiccup broke eye contact and looked down at the purple bottle in his hand.

"I'll let her go on one condition," Mildew smiled, holding the bottle higher up. "Drink this and I'll let her go," He tossed the bottle to Hiccup who caught it in his right hand, staring at it unsure. Hiccup looked up at Mildew with gritted teeth but softened as he changed his focus onto Heather. She has someone back on her island that loves her. Someone who was waiting there for her. She hadn't asked for any of this.

Hiccup sighed, looking down at the bottle before removing the plug. He ignored the calls from his friends, the muffled screams of Heather, the sick laughter of Mildew and the desperate growls of the dragons. He brought the bottle up to his mouth and drank it all.


	85. Chapter 85

Hiccup felt himself choke on the purple liquid going down his throat, but he forced it down. He felt the last drops go in his mouth and unexpectedly dropped the bottle, making it shatter by his feet. Every sound he one heard clearly became muffled like Heather's muffled screams. His legs felt week, chest felt tight and pained and his head felt bashed with an axe. His arms caught himself from falling face first to the ground, with his legs weakly keeping him up. His head spun, his body shook, and he felt himself slowly slip away into deep, deep darkness.

Astrid felt herself scream as Hiccup fell to the ground. She kicked Snotlout to hurry him up with cutting them free. By the second she was free, she heard Heather fall to the ground and watched Mildew run into the woods. Without second thoughts she ran after him.

Mildew was nothing against a shield-maiden who had trained since she was little. He was an old man with struggles to keep himself on his feet, and not to mention keep them from tripping as he ran. Astrid pushed herself to run faster, with Mildew already having a few seconds head start. The adrenaline pumped in her veins from the minute she watched Hiccup fall to the ground limp, unresponsive. She was angry with Mildew even though she had no idea what he had done to her boyfriend. All she could come to conclusion with was that it couldn't be anything good.

The old man took a short glance behind him to find the angry shields-maiden only a couple of inches from reaching him. He looked forward again and jumped over a boulder, but it slowed him down. Astrid used the boulder as an advantage and used her strength to tackle the man. She jumped and grabbed his legs once her feet connected back with the ground. The man fell flat on his face, his dagger falling out of his grip a couple of feet away. He reached out for it, but Astrid punched him hard in between his shoulder blades. Mildew groaned in pain, giving up the attempt on defending himself with a knife out of reach. Astrid grabbed his wrists roughly and pulled them behind his back while keeping him down with her knee into his spine.

"Tell me what you did to Hiccup or I'll kill you," She held him down, taking the dagger into her belt as she pushed him up from the ground and pointed the dagger at his back. They started making their way back to her friends.

"I'm not saying anything," Mildew said casually, as if it was the most normal thing coming out of his mouth. Astrid pushed away the urge of strangling the man, knowing they would need him if the healers couldn't help Hiccup. She pushed the dagger closer to his back, the tip deep, but not deep enough to break through the skin, into his spine. It could kill him slowly but surely if he decided to make a run for it.

"Listen here old man," Astrid growled. "You put the life of an innocent in danger just to get to Hiccup, and that gets great consequences. Even greater ones for threatening the heir of Berk, and I swear, if I ever get the chance to, I will kill you for hurting my boyfriend," Mildew stiffened and tried not to show, but Astrid could feel it as she kept his hands behind his back.

They reached back to her friends who were crowding around Hiccup, trying to wake him up. Astrid walked towards them, having Stormfly guard the old man along with the other dragons except one particular night fury who were too busy worrying about his rider. She knelt down beside Fishlegs who got ready to carry Hiccup up from the ground and over to Toothless.

"Have you found out anything?" Astrid asked, referring to Hiccup's state as she followed closely behind Fishlegs. Fishlegs shook his head, looking at her.

"His breathing is weak, and the same with his heart beats, but there's no explanational reason for it." Astrid nodded and jumped onto Toothless. Fishlegs carefully lifted Hiccup into her arms.

"Come on, we have to hurry back to Berk! Hiccup doesn't look all too well," Snotlout yelled, helping Heather up on Hookfang. She was still pretty shaken up about what nearly just happened.

First now did Astrid notice Hiccup's pale skin. He was indeed paler than usual, and by the state Fishlegs told her he was in, it seemed life threatening. She made sure Hiccup laid in her lap, secured in the saddle, before she ordered Stormfly to take Mildew and follow her friends from the sky while she went with Toothless by the ground. She couldn't take the chance of Toothless's tail going out of its place while she was in the air.

They made their way to the village, Toothless running the fastest he could as he sensed the weakness of his best friend. Snotlout led the others back in the sky, looking down once in a while to make sure Astrid and Toothless was still following. Even though he would never admit it, he was scared for his cousin. They have no idea what Mildew did to make him as pale as snow, with his lips turning slowly blue. Normally, he would have joked around with Mildew, but now that someone was injured, his cousin of all the people, he knew there was no room for tricks and jokes. Everything was deadly serious.

Toothless ran, trying to make it comfortable for them at the same time, up the hill leading to the Great Hall, he had noted where the healers stayed since he'd been there every so often with Hiccup checking up on injured villagers. But without arms to open the massive doors, he couldn't do anything but stop outside and let Astrid do the job instead. She held onto Hiccup tightly, taking his arm around her shoulder while she used her free hand to open the door. Toothless helped her once it was open enough for him to keep it that way with his head. Once they were inside, Astrid called for help.

"HELP! I NEED HELP!" She screamed out, not caring that half of the village was there for breakfast. All the talking turned into whispering and the eyes of many Vikings turned to them worriedly. Someone called out for the chief, getting a response telling them he wasn't there. Which also ended up with someone calling for anyone to get him. But one person was there. Savage.

He had been in the Great Hall to get some food, also in hope to find Hiccup and warn him about Mildew and his plans before it was too late. But neither did he find him nor did he get the chance of telling him the plan. Even though he didn't exactly know what the plan was, he still had needed to warn him, but as he saw the limp, pale form of the acting chief supporting his limp body on the shields-maiden, he knew he was too late.

Savage ran over to them, ordering one of his men to help her carry him into the healers while he took care of Mildew. Vikings were already crowding around the teens and their dragons who were keeping an eye on the traitor. The crowd roared with questions as the teens tried to quiet them down, but to no avail. Savage took a deep breath.

"SILENCE!" He yelled. Every eye landed on him. Both dragon and Viking. He sighed, turning to the teens who kept an eye on Mildew. "Tell us what happened later when the chief is here. He would want to hear it first," The teens nodded and left Mildew with some guards.

Astrid kicked the door open to the healer's room in the back of the Great Hall. She heard a yelp of surprise from the inside and was instantly met by Kenna, their healer. She gasped, motioning her to lay him down on the bed. Kenna checked Hiccup's pulse as she asked her questions.

"What happened?" She asked, checking his temperature. He was freezing. She pulled the covers over him and added another to take around his neck and shoulders.

"Mildew did this. He said if he didn't drink a bottle with some purple stuff in it, he would kill Heather," The healer nodded as she blended together some herbs. "And Hiccup being Hiccup drank it to save her," Kenna knew he did it because she knew it was something Hiccup would do. It was so Hiccup-like to put other's lives before his own.

"I'll see what I can do," Kenna said, sitting Hiccup up a little to pour the medicine down his throat before she laid him back down again. "Is Mildew here right now?" Astrid nodded.

"He's with the other Vikings guarded in the hall," Kenna nodded.

"Okay, Astrid, I need you to get Mildew in here and get someone to bring Gothi and the chief here," Astrid nodded and ran out the door towards the crowd of Vikings who were yelling at Mildew. She pushed her way through the crowd and grabbed Mildew's hands roughly.

"Snotlout, go get Gothi and Stoick," He nodded and went off. "Come on," She told her friends to follow her back to the healer's room. She opened the door to find more blankets wrapped around Hiccup's shivering body. His prosthetic was taken off and laid gently against the bed. "We've got him," Kenna nodded and took out some chains before she chained Mildew to the wall.

"Mildew, I'm going to ask you; what did you do to him?" Kenna snarled, gesturing to the heir lying lifeless in the bed covered with layers of fur, though he was still shivering.

"Oh, you'll see soon enough," Mildew smiled wickedly. He looked over her shoulder and smiled. He couldn't wait for the next step of their plan to happen.

"We'll we're not going to wait. You either tell us now or someone here will have to force it out of you," Kenna growled, pointing a finger close to his face.

"I'll do it gladly," Tuffnut volunteered, raising a hand. "No one messes with our friend other than us," Astrid was taken aback by Tuffnut's suggestion. He wasn't really the type to care, but, obviously now, he did care as long as it had something to do with a friend. Toothless growled by the door, opening it with his head to let someone in.

"Hiccup," Stoick whispered, running over to his son's side instantly. "Who did thi-you," Stoick growled, looking at Mildew. "What did you do to my son?" Stoick shouted, grabbing the man by his tunic. He had a hunch that Mildew was a part of this considering he was chained to the wall. Mildew stayed quiet. "I said WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" Stoick boomed, pushing Mildew sharply against the wall. Mildew groaned, feeling himself get pulled up from the ground.

"I'm not going to tell you anything," Mildew responded. Stoick dropped him to the ground and sat down by his son's side, holding his shivering hand. It was ice cold. He looked at his son's pale face and blue lips, but then he remembered something. He stood up from his chair and rushed out of the room before he called for Savage.

Savage stood up from the bench he was sitting at and ran quickly over to him. "Is everything alright?" He asked.

"Come," Stoick walked back inside the room and sat down with Savage standing by the door. "You told me yesterday you saw Mildew," He gestured to the chained man. "Was talking to Alvin?" Savage nodded.

"But that's impossible. Alvin is dead!" Fishlegs squeaked. Only by the sound of his voice, everyone could tell he was terrified. Stoick ignored his statement and looked back at Savage.

"What did you hear?" Stoick asked.

"I heard him say something about getting to Hiccup, but what he meant by that is still a mystery. Though they definitely did have a plan," Stoick nodded and looked at Kenna. He was about to open his mouth when the door opened and in came Snotlout with both Gothi and Gobber. Gothi immediately went over to Hiccup and checked him while the others still discussed the situation.

"Tell me what exactly happened," He said to the teens and so they did. They told him everything from the very beginning, on how Hiccup had explained the new saddle when it happened, until the ending, where they explained what Mildew had done. Mildew hadn't exactly forced Hiccup to do it, since he could've just let it be and figure out another way out, but Hiccup clearly didn't want to set anyone else's life on the line for his actions. No one other than his, that is.

"Heather, where were you last night?" Stoick asked, all eyes turned to her.

"Y-you think I-I was a part of this?" She asked shocked.

"Just tell us," Gobber said.

"Okay, I was just taking a walk around the village because I couldn't sleep, but then this lunatic," Heather pointed at Mildew, "dragged me behind a house and then I blacked out. The next thing I know I wake up in a little house somewhere out in the woods. He was stupid enough to let me see as we walked around to find Hiccup," Stoick's face lightened up.

"Can you show us where the house is?" Heather nodded and walked out with everyone, except Gothi and Kenna, following behind. She walked out of the Great Hall, finding it easier to recognize the path she took by foot instead of using a dragon. Though the dragons did trail behind them except for Toothless who stayed behind with his rider.

Gothi checked on Hiccup's pulse from time to time, making sure he was still with them since he looked almost deadly pale. His blue lips were dry and parted a little to let small gasps of air in. Kenna brought in a bowl of warm soup in hope to somehow get Hiccup's warmth back, seeing that the extra layers of fur didn't help at all.

Hiccup's eyebrows twitched but relaxed a little, then moved again. Gothi took that as a good sign that he was responding to their treatments, but boy was she wrong.


	86. Chapter 86

_Hiccup opened his eyes, feeling something hard beneath him. He tried to see through the darkness of wherever he was, but it was no use. Everything felt like Deja vu. As if he'd gone through something like it before. He felt cold cool down his skin, making him rub his arms in hope to get warm, but the cold didn't disappear. Something much colder breathed against his skin and he felt himself flinch and turn around, but soon wished he didn't. He was met by a pair of blood thirsty eyes and yellow teeth that seemed to be the only source of light around him. Nervously, he backed away, still rubbing his arms, but the red eyes followed him._

 _"_ _Don't be like that," The voice said. Hiccup recognized it all too well. He felt his throat go dry and his lips lose its humidity. "I just want to have some fun," Alvin said. Alvin was haunting him. Hiccup felt a pair of hands grab his and in a flash he was strapped against a table with someone standing over him. He struggled against the chains holding him down but it was no use. A sharp pain spread itself on his fingers and up his arms. Hiccup screamed and trashed, trying to push Alvin away from him as he felt the red metallic liquid leave his body quickly. "Brings back old memories doesn't it?" Alvin smiled, taking a pinch as he held Hiccup's hand tightly._

 _"_ _HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!" Hiccup screamed out into the darkness, hoping anyone could hear him. He screamed out, kicking and struggling against the chains as he felt the pinch take a hold of his finger nail and it pulled back slowly._

 _"_ _We're going to have so much fun," Alvin smirked, throwing the nail away and Hiccup swore he could hear it touch the ground. Alvin brought the pinch over to Hiccup's next finger, knowing he couldn't black out because he already had. Hiccup, on the other hand, didn't know that he was unconscious at all._

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!" Hiccup suddenly screamed out, his eyes still closed, as Kenna held him down. Toothless covered his ears, letting out a small whine as Hiccup screamed and trashed against Kenna's grip. Gothi worked her way over to Hiccup, pouring some medicine into his mouth and expected him to go still, but he didn't. He kept screaming out in pain, his forehead burning up. Kenna held her hand against his forehead and gasped.

"How is this possible? He was ice cold only seconds ago!" She said, grabbing a wet cloth and pressed it against Hiccup's forehead, but he pushed it away and screamed even louder. Because in his dream, his hands were now free after Alvin left him alone, for a few minutes with a long gash over his forehead, saying he needed to take care of something.

Kenna tried again, and held the cloth against his forehead, but Hiccup kept on pushing him away. Behind her she could hear Mildew snicker at the sight and whisper "And so it begins,"

Kenna removed the covers to cool him down, but put them back on once his skin was cold. His temperature changed from warm to cold and in the blink of an eye he was paler or better than before. Gothi checked his mouth several times in hope to find traces of the liquid, but found none. She checked his pulse constantly along with his heart beat once he stopped screaming and lay deadly still.

Kenna sat down with a deep breath, relaxing her arms after having used them to keep him down. She looked around the room, her eyes landing several times on Mildew, but found nothing that could help them. Her eyes landed on a certain shield and that was when she remembered the mark. She removed Hiccup's tunic, having curious eyes on her, and traced the mark with her fingers. Her eyes went back and forth from the mark on his chest and the crest on the shield.

"Outcast crest," She whispered, tracing the mark on his chest. Gothi looked at the crest herself and gasped silently. In a flash she was out of the room, leaving them alone with Hiccup.

* * *

"Is this it?" Stoick asked, looking at the small hut that was hidden by leafs and stones. Heather nodded, walking over to the door. Luckily it wasn't locked. She pushed the old door open with force so strong the door could break any second. With a sigh, she walked into the house, the floor creaking beneath her feet along with the wooden door crashing into the wall behind it. The house was messy and covered with dust. It seemed unstable by the old looking wood, but it was actually pretty secure.

Astrid looked around in awe. She had expected the house to be a lot smaller, but the leafs and stones seemed to cover up most of it from the outside. There were layers of dust on furniture's and an unknown source of light somewhere in the house, lightning up the cold, old house along with the little light that went through the door as the last person walked in. Astrid looked around curiously, finding different shapes of glasses and different colors of liquid in it on shelves, but nothing looked like the one Mildew had with him.

Stoick looked around the room, trying to find anything that looked like what the teens had described, while the others did the same. "Anyone found anything?" Stoick called out, walking closer to the light to get better view of the things he was looking at, and most importantly hoping he would find what he was looking for.

"Nothing yet chief," Gobber called out, squinting his eyes to see better in the dark. No one kept their eyes locked on something for too long, knowing that Hiccup may not have long enough for them to do so. They scanned the building, only finding different bottles of different colors.

Fishlegs walked curiously closer to the light, following the flickering light on the walls as he was led to a long slim stairs that led below the house. "I think I found something!" He called out, walking slowly down the staircase to the source of light. He heard footsteps following behind him but didn't take time to look behind him because he already knew who it was. The slim stairs led down to another room filled with several pots with liquid, just larger than the ones on the first floor. But one thing caught their attention the most.

In the center of the room stood a huge cauldron with torches surrounding it. It almost looked like some sort of sacrificial, ceremonial event having been celebrated there not too long ago. Fishlegs walked forward curiously, seeing smoke come up from the cauldron. He leaned over and squinted his eyes. "It's…purple," Fishlegs whispered almost speechless. Many thoughts crowded their minds but only a few obvious reasons explained them. One question they had in common was if it was the one Hiccup was given?

"Could this be the one?" Astrid asked, looking into the cauldron, staring at the purple liquid that steamed up in the air. They were careful enough not to bread any of the hot steam in case it could endanger them too and put them in the same state as their acting chief.

"I think it is," Heather said simply, peeking over Astrid's shoulder. "I didn't get the chance to see where Mildew got it from," She explained truthfully. She had been tied up, on the first floor, unable to get away as Mildew had no chance for stopping her. Though, the old man had made sure she was secured tightly and safely so that he could accomplish his plans.

"It is the only thing purple," Gobber shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. Whether it is this or not, we're taking it back to let Gothi have a look on it," Stoick said firmly, looking around for anything to store the liquid in. He spotted a few pots in the corner of the room, some empty and some half used. His eyes took in the different color's as he grabbed the empty ones and brought them back over to the cauldron after getting a good look at the pots. Stoick gave one to each of them and filled them up one by one.

"Okay, let's get this back to Gothi and Kenna," The teens nodded and followed their chief up the slim stairs that led to the first floor. Walking out the doorway that led down the stairs, they heard a sudden sound that startled not only them, but also the dragons of theirs who stood growling outside the house. Shrugging it off as nothing, the seven of them made their way to the door, but once grabbing a hold of the handle Stoick found it stuck. Locked, actually.

"Leaving so soon are we?" A voice snickered in the dark room. Everyone turned around at the sound of the voice, but they found no source of it by the little light they had. No one responded to the voice, unsure whether or not their words would come out the right way.

Growls became louder from the outside and sounds of talons scraping and clawing at the front door that rustled by the force, became the only sounds until the mysterious voice appeared again. Only this time it came from another location in the house. "We can't have people snooping around in someone's house and steal something that doesn't belong to them, now do we?" Their heads whipped to the side, trying to find the source of the voice that obviously belonged to a man.

Something about the voice was familiar to them, but the croaky, almost dead, sounding voice made it sound even more foreign to their ears.

Once again, neither of them responded. "Now enough talking," The room suddenly lit up, flames spreading up by the end of the room and smoke filled the room faster than usual. The last thing they heard of the voice was a sickening laughed, echoing through the crowded room, and his last words before he was gone. "I've got something, or more like someone, else to take care of."

* * *

Hiccup's fingers were the only part of his body moving expect for his chest going steadily up and down. His fingers kept a hold of his right side. Kenna had removed his hands to get a look, but found nothing. By the minute she let go of his hands, they went back the way they were.

Kenna had no possible explanation for Hiccup's state. She turned to Mildew, glaring daggers at him. "If you don't tell me what you did, I swear I will personally ask the chief for access to beat you up," Mildew snickered at her.

"You can't do that," He smiled mischievously at her.

"And why not?" She snapped.

"Last I checked, the boy is the chief, which means he has to give back the title for the real chief. Which also means you have no opportunity to do it," Kenna let out a growl in frustration.

"Then I'll make it look like self-defense," She snapped only earning another laugh from the wrinkly old man. "Listen up old man. You're guilty in this any way, and when the 'real' chief comes back, he and the council will decide your fate. So you better tell me what is going on and what you did to him," Mildew rolled his eyes, glaring at her.

"You think you can threaten me with something I'm already expecting?" Mildew laughed. "I'll tell you this. There won't be an heir any time in the near future and all because of a little frightened heart," Kenna's eyes widened. She looked back at Hiccup, with the same wide eyes in realization, just in time to see his chest shoot up followed by a strangled gasp.


	87. Chapter 87

_Hiccup kicked into nothingness. A huge hand grasped his thin neck, pressing his throat down to prevent any air from escaping, or coming, through his throat. Hiccup gasped, looking into the red demonic eyes of his old enemy who carried a nasty, yet evil, grin._

 _"Listen up you runt," Alvin snarled. "There's no one coming to help you. You're father and friends are dead. And if you think there's any way escaping this, the think again," Hiccup felt the ginormous hand leave his throat, allowing him deep, steady breaths. Tears fell from his eyes, pleading that what he was told was a lie._

 _"Please, l-leave them a-alone," Hiccup gasped through his sobs. "Do wh-whatever you…you want with me, ju-just leave them out of it," He felt the same cold hand take a hold of his exposed forearm and a cool, sharp piece of metal place against his wrist._

 _"It's too late now, they're all gone," That was the last thing Hiccup heard him say for what felt like an eternity in the darkness. His screams echoed in his own ears as Alvin buried the knife deeper and deeper into his arm until he was sure there was no way any healer could save it._

* * *

Gothi ran out of the Great Hall, the fastest her old feet could, and down the stairs and path that led to the forge. Once she arrived, she looked around in shelves and on tables, in cabinets and closets but found nothing. Silently, with her muted voice, she groaned, but notices a ladder in the far end of the room. Possibilities flooded her mind and she carefully laid her staff against a beam and slowly climbed up the ladder.

There it was, dusty as ever. A book covered in layers of dust that could be measured as inches high. Only by the look, one could find it centuries old. Maybe even older. She brought it out with her bony fingers and held it closely to her chest as she climbed carefully back down the ladder. The book looked heavier than any other book, considering the many pages, but one shouldn't underestimate the strength of an elder.

Gothi brushed her hand along the cover, revealing a symbol. The chief symbol of Berk. Her eyes wandered out of the forge, through a window and up to the Great Hall. She had much explaining to do when the chief came back with what would hopefully be the cure.

* * *

Everything was in flames. The pots shattered by the contact of the wooden floor as the shelves they once supported themselves on that was now in flames and ashes. Glass shattered, fire burned and panicked roars from the outside was heard. There were fire inching closer to the Vikings inside, inching closer to them from every corner, and both roof and ground.

Stoick gave the pot to Astrid as he kicked the door with his foot, stumbling back and coughed with the crook of his arm covering his nose and mouth, and kicked again. The door broke little by little up as the chief kicked with all his might, knowing that his life, and the life of others, not just inside the same flaming house as him, depended on it.

The door finally gave out, breaking into pieces outside where the chief was met by a pair of big acid green eyes with slits. Toothless moved out of the way letting the 'prisoners' out of the flaming hut. Immediately, Stoick mounted Toothless who ran in top speed towards the village just as the house exploded with fire. A sigh escaped his lips once the smell of smoke and sound of fire was out in the distance instead of up close.

Toothless sped up the stopped for a second, by the first step of the massive stair that led up to the Great Hall, and listened. His ears perked up, listening closely with eyes wide. Stoick looked down at the dragon confused, about to let go when suddenly Toothless ran in a flash of light up the stairs. Toothless waited impatiently by the door as Stoick hurried on opening the huge door. He let out whines as he heard his rider's cries and heart racing. His paws lifted his body, without Stoick on, and sprinted inside the hall, ignoring the fact that it was empty for Vikings, and ran over to the door where Hiccup was kept behind.

Astrid was the first by the door and opened it quickly, running in, with the two pots in her hands, behind the Night Fury. Her heart raised in her chest, pounding against it as if trying to break free. In front of her, Hiccup trashed and screamed, calling out different sentences that were not understandable for anyone in the room. She stood in front of Mildew, ignoring his sickening laughter as she watched the scene in front of her speechless and feeling utterly useless.

"His heart is rising! We have to slow it down!" Kenna yelled, struggling against Hiccups grip that held firmly against her hands in hope to push her away. Hiccup screamed out, his chest rising, fingers twitching, and then all at once it stopped. Hiccup's body laid flat on the bed, his head falling limp to the side without a single sign of heartbeats.

Stoick stood there speechless, finding no words build up in his mind no matter how much he wanted it. His eyes were glued on the pale body of his son, lying there motionless. This reminded him of something. It almost felt like a Déjà vu. His mind and thoughts wandered back to the day he saw his son take his last breath in front of him. The way his son laid so lifeless in his big arms. How pale he looked.

In that moment he knew what was going on. His feet sprinted over to the bed and crumbled beneath him, making him fall to the ground with shaky hands holding the old carved wood. His massive hands crawled up the fur, over Hiccup's shoulder and stopped by his neck, searching for pulse. Stoick took a deep breath in hope to calm himself down to hear and feel more closely.

Stoick's breath stopped for a second, almost mirroring the dead breathing of his son, the breath he so badly wanted to hear. His index finger found the vein that was supposed to pumping up the oxygen to his nose. There was no pulse.

Instantly, his hands moved back to support his own weight on the wood that carried his son higher up in the air. He grabbed his helmet and threw it away, hurrying to put his right ear against the chest of his son and listened closely for any heartbeats. Stoick hoped he had been imaginary to the point of searching for a pulse and wanted to believe that he had hallucinated. He wanted it to be a nightmare, just like he wanted the first time his son went to Valhalla, but then again, dreams come true. And who were to say dreams couldn't be nightmares too?

Stoick's eyes shut, letting a tear fall from his teary eyes. His arms went around his head that rested on the silent chest of his only son. By the sight everyone could tell what happened. Tuffnut gripped his hair in fear, not knowing what he was supposed to do. He stayed silent in his own thoughts.

"No," Astrid whispered, ignoring the fact that her eyes were showing clear weakness. She always cared of being brave, for everyone. Everyone except one. And the one was lying lifeless in front of her eyes. Her knees made contact with the hard wood beneath her feet. The pots in her hands rolling down her tights and lightly down on the floor below. Her hands lay in her lap, shaking slightly along with her shoulder that followed the rhythm of her silent sobs.

"He-he can't be gone!" Snotlout cried, running a hand in his hair that was hid beneath his helmet. He looked at his cousin, Hiccup's face lying towards him, and felt himself tear up inside. His eyes watered at the sight of his future chief and his child hood target of his bullying. Regrets filled his mind and he didn't want anything else to do but to drown in them.

Ruffnut was speechless, locking eyes with Heather who looked back at her and then moved to Astrid. Astrid's hands were wiping away the tears as she looked at Hiccup's body. Without second thoughts she knelt down beside her, pulling her closer to her chest as they both stared at Hiccup.

Fishlegs stood beside Gobber who held his shoulders loosely down, his mouth open as tears fell from his eyes as well. Fishlegs bowed his head, looking down at the floor beneath his feet to avoid looking at the lifeless figure of his friend. He and Hiccup didn't have such a strong bond as kids, but days changed everything and they discussed dragons whenever they could. It brought them closer.

Gothi held her head low along with Kenna, both of them staring down at their feet. Everything was deadly silent. The air wasn't awkward as one would describe a silence to be. The silence was rather wretched. No one had taken notice of the man causing this, standing in the same room as them with a wicked smile on his wrinkled face, still chained to the wall.

Mildew smiled, looking nothing like the ones surrounding him. "It's finally done," Astrid's teary eyes widened, but shifted quickly to anger towards the source of the voice. She pulled herself up from the ground, turning around to the man. "Alvin will be pleased with this," Mildew snickered. Astrid's body screamed with fury. She grabbed Mildew by his throat, squeezing it with her hand. Mildew choked, gasping for air. All the attention that once lay with the dead body of their friend and heir was brought to the Viking who held an elder by his throat. No one stopped her.

"You think it's funny that he's dead?!" Astrid screamed her voice cracking. She pinned him to the wall with her forearm against his throat. Mildew stayed silent, the only think being heard was his gasps and the angry and heavy breathes of the blonde Viking. "YOU KILLED HIM!" Astrid growled, smashing his head hard against the wood. "I swear to Odin you will pay," She yelled, rising her fist.

Hiccup gasped, sitting up in the bed and coughed. His throat was dry like a desert. He breathed in heavily as the coughing faded. Opening his eyes, he was met by a sight that made him confused as ever. Everyone looked at him with wide, bloodshot eyes, but what surprised him the most was the widest pair of them all. Mildew looked at him in shock, his eyes looking as if they could fall out any second.

"Wh-why are y-you stari-ng at me?" Hiccup managed to say, rubbing his sore throat. No one said anything. Then everything came back to him. His eyes widened as he looked beneath his tunic, on his fingernails and every possible exposed skin Alvin had played with. He had expected a bruise, a bandage or any pain at all, but he felt alive and painless. His eyes wandered up to his father who stood there and then he remembered Alvin's words. "Y-you're alive," Hiccup smiled, his voice cracking. Once again, no one answered. Hiccup looked at them awkwardly, sitting over to the edge where he had his prosthetic. He strapped it on, looking up at them confused as ever. "Hello?" Hiccup tried again.

Astrid dropped Mildews throat and let her fist loosen, walking slowly over to Hiccup before she suddenly threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his middle as she buried her head in the crook of his neck. Hiccup was taken aback, but wrapped her arms around her waist, patting her awkwardly. "Did something happen?" Hiccup asked, looking at the others who were speechless by the sight.

"H-How are you still alive?" Mildew growled, getting the air back in his lungs.

"Y-you were dead!" Snotlout blurted out, looking at him in total shock. Hiccup looked at them in disbelief.

"I…," Hiccup turned speechless. He held Astrid close, looking forward with wide eyes. Different memories and thoughts mixed in his mind, making him stare into nothing. A wooden object tapped his shoulder lightly. Hiccup turned around to see Gothi holding up a book for him. He took it unsurely, feeling Astrid pull away and sit by his bedside. He crossed his leg over his prosthetic and held the book in his lap. Looking up questioningly, he saw Gothi nodding for him to continue.

Hiccup looked down at the cover, noticing the symbol of the chiefs of Berk. He traced the symbol with his finger before he heard Gobber gasp. "You found that in the forge didn't you?" Gothi nodded. Hiccup looked at them confused, just like everyone else. "What does this have to do with any of this?" Gothi walked over to Hiccup, lifting her staff with the hook beneath his tunic. Gobber looked at her awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "She…uhm…wants you to take your shirt… off," Hiccup blushed, looking at Gothi who nodded. He removed his tunic revealing what Gothi was trying to find. The mark.


	88. Chapter 88

Hiccup looked down at his chest, tracing the mark with his finger. "T-that's a-an o-outcast mark," Hiccup gasped, looking at Gothi with wide eyes. Gothi nodded and tappet the book. Hiccup opened to the first page, noticing how old the book was by lifting the cover to reveal a page ripped by its edges and looked as if someone had tried to burn it. The page was filled with pictures and runes.

Hiccup was confused by the pictures that he only could describe with one word; darkness. He looked up at Gobber with a questioning look. "What is this?" He asked, looking back down as he scrolled through the pages. He heard Gobber sigh.

"It's an old book from years back. Back to the time where people like you went through the same," Hiccup looked at him unsure of asking the next question. He looked down for a second but then back up before Gobber continued.

"People like…me?" Hiccup asked, feeling frightened but at the same time special. If Gobber referred to him like that, it meant something, right?

"Earlier heirs and chiefs," Gobber answered, noticing Hiccup breathe out in relief. "They were often the targets for other tribes who wanted to take over more lands and become stronger and powerful," Gobber explained, looking at Stoick. He had expected him to know such things, but by the look on his face he knew he had no clue about this. "They thought taking down the future and the temporarily chief, it would weaken the tribe and be easier for them to take over."

"Like a strategy?" Astrid asked with her voice still hoarse from before.

"Aye," Gobber nodded towards the lass. "The strategies," He said, using Astrid's word to explain it in the easiest way. "Became usual for the tribes who heard about it from nearby lands, and therefore it was used in wars or invasions."

"What does any of this have to do with that?" Snotlout asked, pointing to the book in Hiccup's lap. His voice just screamed of impatience. Gobber rolled his eyes.

"I'm getting there," He glared at Snotlout who brought his hands up in defense. "But sometimes the leader of the invasion would die before his or her task was complete. The legend says their souls were sent to Loki's throne where he either decided to bring them back for entertainment or let them stay like they were."

"That explains what Alvin meant about having a friend," Hiccup said, remembering how Alvin had said he'd gotten a few new tools from a friend.

"Unfortunately, most of the time Loki would send them back in spirit form to complete their task," Gobber continued.

"So Alvin is back to get his revenge on Hiccup?" Tuffnut said, putting everything slowly together. Gothi nodded.

"I'm surprised they got that," Astrid muttered, rolling her eyes.

"But why? You guys told me Savage were the one to kill him," Heather stepped in, looking confused as ever. Hiccup thought for a second.

"He was…but when I said the same thing to Alvin the night you found me in the cove, he said it was my fault because I got the outcasts to turn on him," Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked at him utterly confused. "Yes, I'm the target," The two twins nodded clearly, a bit too much, to show they finally understood it.

"What were you saying Gobber," Astrid interrupted, ignoring the twins who obviously didn't get it.

"Right," Gobber scratched the back of his neck. "Loki gives them a second chance by a little use of his power. But most people believes that's just a myth-"

"How do we get rid of him?" Stoick asked, getting straight to the point even if there was more to explain. He just wanted it all to be over. He wanted his son at piece with the spirit haunting him.

"Stoick there's more needed to be explained," Gobber tried to reason with him but Stoick wouldn't have it.

"Dad's right, we need to know if something happens before we know the whole story," Hiccup cut his father off. Eager like his father to know how to get rid of the man haunting him and his dreams. Gobber sighed in defeat, knowing the lad was right.

"You have to burn his body. That way he won't have anything personal that belongs to him. Remember, a body is always the most personal object a person can have," Hiccup nodded and stood up, taking his shirt over his hands as he made his way to the door. "Where are you going?"

"Savage knows where Alvin's body is. We need to speak with him," Stoick stood up and placed a hand on his bare shoulder, noticing how soft his skin really was.

"Settle down son, we can do it later," Hiccup hesitated but nodded before looking over at Gobber, silently telling him to continue.

"The spirits marks their targets with the symbol its most known to, which for Alvin was the crest of the outcasts. Hiccup, Alvin marked you to get access to your body," Hiccup backed away, holding his chest frightened.

"W-what?" Hiccup choked out, his eyebrows furrowed in fear.

"You mean to say this madman can possess my son?!" Stoick growled, feeling more fear than anger in his body. His mind brought possibilities out of what could happen. And none of them were even close to positive.

"Possibly, yes. But the book also says that only an important and worthy spirit is given access to such power. Whether it's a good spirit of bad spirit,"

"Good spirit?" Astrid asked, having thought only bad spirits were brought back to complete something their previous life couldn't.

"Aye, Odin himself finds a worthy one who died in the battle to stop the evil spirit, that his son had sent back, by executing the spirit," Astrid nodded understandingly.

"So…there's a chance he can't possess me?" Hiccup asked, still shaken up by the thought that an evil spirit could take over his actions. For what he knows, he could be used against the ones around him if he ever were to get possessed.

"And a chance he can," Gobber sighed, rubbing his eyes. He tried to think of anything he hadn't explained that was important for them, but luckily Stoick helped him with so.

"Didn't you say the blade went straight through you?" Stoick asked his son who nodded and looked back at Gobber. "Does this mean Alvin can't touch him as well?" Gobber nodded.

"A spirit can't touch a living human, but that doesn't mean he can't harm them."

"Like how he struck me with that blade?" Hiccup asked, wincing at the memory of how the blade had burned his insides and outsides.

"Aye, lad. The only thing we can do is burn his body and hope everything goes well," Hiccup nodded, taking it as a queue for him to go out and find Hiccup. He bid them goodbye for then, and walked to the door but stopped as a hand grabbed his shoulder. "You need to be careful. If another blade strikes you, you could die," Hiccup bit his lip at Gobber's word, walking out of the room deep in his thoughts.

* * *

Hiccup walked along with Savage to the forge after having explained the whole situation. Of course he left out the whole part about him having been dead, only an hour ago, for minutes he didn't even know. The two were discussing the situation as they made their way to the said place, to meet up with Gobber and the people his father had gathered for the mission. They decided to have a couple of Vikings with them for lookout but not too many because of the danger that were waiting for them.

The two arrived at the forge where his friends, father and Gobber with the extra Vikings, Phlegma the fierce, Spitelout and Hoark stood ready by a table. They walked over to them, Hiccup greeting them along with Spitelout before he looked at the map on the table.

"This is where we buried him," Spitelout pointed on the map. Tuffnut stood on the opposite side, looking down at the map.

"South for Tniop Nevar? Didn't know that was a place!" Tuffnut snickered but fell to the ground behind them as Astrid punched him.

"It's called Raven Point you idiot, and its north of Berk. You read it upside down," Astrid said, rolling her eyes. Tuffnut jumped up on his feet, turning his head to read better.

"Ooh," Tuffnut said, but crossed his arms. "At least I can read," He smirked, looking at Snotlout.

"Yeah well at least I have a chance of getting a lady my age," Snotlout smiled, wiggling his eyebrows at Ruffnut.

"Guys-

"Oh yeah? Well who knows how to blow up things in the village without the chief knowing?" Tuffnut silently mouthed me and pointed at himself so the chief, or should I say chiefs wouldn't understand what he said. Hiccup rolled his eyes, looking at his father who glared at Tuffnut.

"Guys would you-

Snotlout cut Hiccup, who tried to get back on topic, off again. "Then who can look good in the morning without having fixed his hair?" Snotlout pointed at himself, brushing his hair with his hand. Mostly trying to impress Ruffnut who waited for Tuffnut to get rid of him so he would stop grossing her out.

"Really? Well I can fill your mouth with dragon-

"Okay! I do not need to hear that!" Hiccup shivered a little at the thought, finally stopping the two, except for the aftermath glaring. "Can we please get back on topic now?" Snotlout and Tuffnut looked at each other with a glare, starting a staring contest, but eventually nodded. "Thank you!" Hiccup rolled his eyes, going back to the map. "Alright, half of us will be digging the body up while the other half will keep an eye out for Alvin's spirit-"

"Wait," Tuffnut said.

"Is it important?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes, it always is," Astrid rolled her eyes, leaning against a beam to relax her temper and silently begging Odin to not let them start another argument. "Anyways, how come you never told us where you buried him? I mean, me and my sister have been looking after something to explode," Ruffnut nodded at that.

"For the first time in forever Tuffnut, I actually wish we told you, but we did it to prevent you from blowing up the whole forest as well," Tuffnut nodded actually understandingly. "Now, Dad, you take Spitelout, Gobber, Savage, Phlegma and Hoark with you and keep look out with the dragons while the rest of us dig him up," Snotlout groaned, his arms falling to his side in annoyance.

"Why do we have to do all the working? They're stronger than us," He complained, not using the brain of his.

"That's why we need them to keep look out. Look, even if Alvin can't touch us and we can't touch him, he can still harm us."

"How do you know we can't touch him?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup wanted to give him an are-you-serious-look but decided to leave it be.

"It would be strange if we could touch him and he can't touch us," Fishlegs looked up to the ceiling suddenly coming back to reason with the apparent heat. He nodded to show he understood. "Anything more needing to get added?"

"What will we do if Alvin does come?" Phlegma asked.

"Warn us and get ready. If he has weapons, dodge them," Everyone nodded. "Good, let's get going,"


	89. Chapter 89

Once they arrived, it was still in the middle of the day. The shovels they had brought with them were in use the second they got there. Of course, some of them were inspired to go fast and work effectively, and some of them were not.

"How far did you burry him? Miles below the ground?" Snotlout complained, already after a few minutes of work. Hiccup kept working, not taking his eyes off of the work as he replied.

"For your information he's in the ground," Hiccup said, his breathing starting to demand more air as he kept on digging and throwing, digging and throwing.

"You know what I meant!" Snotlout shouted angrily, but Astrid shushed him.

"Keep your voice down! We don't want Alvin to find out we're here," Hiccup nodded in agreement.

"Astrid's right. Try to make less noise than needed," Everyone nodded and kept their mouths shut. The only thing heard was the constantly sound of shovels digging into the dirt, someone stepping on the hard metal to lift the dirt up, and throwing it up on the piles around them.

Snotlout was starting to get a headache from his mind complaining inside his head about doing all the work. If only he could open his mouth to say something, it would be complaining about the work, and for how long that would go on could be hours.

"We've been digging for hours!" Tuffnut whispered in a groan.

"We've only been here for thirty minutes!" Fishlegs whispered harshly back at him, feeling sweaty through his coat of fur.

"Exactly, that's more than two hours!" Tuffnut whispered back, dropping his shovel before he fell into the layer of dirt and relaxed his aching arms. The other's glared at him in annoyance.

"It's not even an hour," Heather corrected him. "Wow, you guys really need some help with the basic stuff," She said, wiping her sweaty forehead.

"Yet, another thing I need to add to the list," Hiccup mumbled, ignoring Tuffnut's laziness and kept working. He knew they weren't too far from their goal now.

Suddenly, the silent air was interrupted by the dragons growling and standing up in defense. Hiccup looked around for Alvin but didn't see him anywhere.

"Do you guys see anything?" He asked his friends who dropped the shovels for a better chance of running in case it was needed.

"Nothing yet," Astrid said, looking around.

"Okay," Hiccup breathed out, trying to calm himself down. Normally he wouldn't be afraid for someone, but after everything he has gone through with Alvin involved, made him terrified of him. And now that he rose up from the dead in a form where neither of them could touch each other but still the madman had advantage, made everything horrifying for Hiccup. "Keep digging, we're almost there," He said, pushing the shovel back down in the ground as he worked faster than he did before. He felt something hard yet soft as he dug the tip of the shovel down. "I think I found something."

Hiccup bent down along with everyone else, digging with their hands as they pushed the dirt away, revealing the pale, dehydrated body of Alvin. His skin was deadly pale with wrinkles that barely covered the visible bones that should have been covered with meat. The four boys lifted Alvin up as the three girls laid dirt beneath Alvin's body, before laying him back down. This time exposed from all dirt.

Alvin's corpse was dusty and unclean, looking like he hadn't taken a bath in his whole living life. The seven teenagers climbed out of the hole they had made. Astrid whistled for Stormfly who came over in an instant, building the fire up her throat.

"Call of yer dragon or the boy dies," Hiccup felt the voice by his ear, the coldness of the spirit breathing into his neck. He knew by a second he could be dead because he had been in such situations before and witnessed some as well. In the last second, Astrid called of Stormfly who growled threateningly at Alvin. All attention was on them.

"Aren't you going to kill me anyway?" Hiccup asked, swallowing hard. His hands were following his emptions, shaking because he was petrified of what was to come. He needed to distract him.

"Oh I am, but not until you those dragons are away," None of the dragon riders reacted, and let their dragons growl at the man in fury. "Looks like I have to do everything myself then," Alvin sighed, letting the same cold ear into Hiccup's neck, sending more shivers down his spine. Hiccup couldn't see what he did, but something black zoomed past him and hit Stormfly straight through her chest, sending her unconscious to the ground.

"Stormfly!" Astrid dropped her shovel, running over to her dragon and taking her head in her hands. "What did you do to her?!" Astrid yelled, looking at Alvin in pure anger and hatred.

"Relax, she's just asleep, for now," Alvin snickered. Hiccup figured Alvin was distracted enough and leaped to the side, giving the man a hard time to react before he was away in an arm's length. Alvin laughed, pulling out several small knifes, but no matter the size they could do great harm to one another.

Hiccup noticed Alvin aimed one of the knives at him and jumped to the side, landing harshly on the ground, barely missing the blade. He was quick on his feet, running deeper into the forest as Alvin followed him. "TOOTHLESS! BURN THE BODY!" He yelled, looking behind to see Alvin disappearing and appearing behind Toothless. "NO!" Hiccup yelled, stumbling as he ran to his best friend, witnessing him go limp by Alvin's feet. All the dragons fell to the ground as Alvin hit them with his knives.

Alvin turned his attention back on Hiccup in an instant, and was by his side in seconds. He grabbed one of his knifes and aimed it at Hiccup who started running away again. Hiccup ducked from the aim and ran farther away, having Alvin disappear before appearing in front of him, him running away and so on.

"HICCUP!" His father yelled, trying to find a way of getting him to safety, but knew it was hopeless unless they burned the body. He couldn't hide behind trees; he could hide behind a boulder or in a cave. The blades would go straight through the trees and boulders like they had when Alvin aimed but missed as Hiccup took sharp turns.

Then Hiccup arrived in a location he wanted so badly to have his new armor for. Rocks fell down the side of the cliff as his feet met the edge, barely getting him a couple of steps back before he was incapable of running anywhere else than through Alvin.

Hiccup's father stood behind Alvin, in sight for Hiccup to see, along with the other grownups. Hiccup tried to take a step back but felt his footing fall and rocks break from the edge. He managed to get back his balance before falling over the edge.

"Say goodbye to your boy Stoick," Alvin smiled, holding the knife up. Hiccup took a last glance at his father who looked at him in worry, both unable to speak or say their last goodbye if it was to come. Alvin released the knife from his grip, having aimed for his heart but instead it pierced through his shoulder. The force brought Hiccup's body backward, making him stumble backwards with his arms desperately trying to hold onto something, but all his fingers were met by was the endless air.

"SON!" Stoick yelled. Tears from his father's eyes were the last thing he saw before the cliff he once stood on blocked the view and became more distant by the second. He saw his father looking down at him from the edge along with Gobber. A tear escaped his eye as he waited for the impact to end his life if the blade didn't do it first. His eyes blurred by the tears welling up in his eyes, the thought of his father having to watch his only son die in front of him.

Something black dived down towards him and he felt something smooth and warm wrap around his middle, wind flapped into his face as he was led away from his own grave. He felt the warmth disappear as he was dropped on something hard yet soft. His hands reacted faster than his mind. It was grass.

Agony shot through his shoulder and towards the mark on his chest, but he had no power to grip his chest or even move a single limb. He screamed out in agony, barely noticing anything happening around him. His body suddenly obeyed to his commands and he rolled to the left, curling up in a ball as he panted and screamed out. A shadow was cast over his body, and he looked up to wind Alvin staring down at him with a murderous look. Hiccup knew it was the end. He had always accepted death after the many times he had encountered it and come close to meeting his grandfather in Valhalla again. But it was always difficult in the exact moment his life was on the line. That was the only moment he couldn't accept it.

Through his teary eyes, he watched as the dark figure of his soon to be murderer, lit up and an ear-piercing scream was heard from above him. He tried to look through his blurry vision, but screamed out in agony once again as pain overwhelmed his body. His back arched up from the ground as black sparks came out of his chest, ripping his tunic up into pieces, making the front of the tunic open. His eyes caught sight of the darkness leaving his body, in the small amount of time he held his eyes open, before he shut his eyes and felt his body burn up from the inside and out.

Stoick watched his son scream out in agony, but stared speechless as something black that had a shape reminding him of flames in a different color. He barely took notice of his early childhood friend burn up into pieces, as he watched his son, feeling helpless. His lips couldn't form a word as he watched in worry as the darkness left his son's body and suddenly disappeared along with Alvin's spirit.

Stoick's feet reacted to his mind and ran over to his son, scooping him up in his huge arms as he held him close in a hug, stroking his head gently as he let the tears fall. He didn't care if he showed weakness. It was his son. And being a father was all that matter towards him. "Oh son, I thought I lost you," Stoick cried, burying his head in Hiccups neck.

"I-I'm ne-never going t-to leave you d-dad," Hiccup smiled, crying into his father. The pain soon faded in his chest and relief removed the horrified feeling in his body. Alvin was finally gone.


	90. Chapter 90

Toothless cooed, slowly approaching his best friend who laid tightly in his father's grip, trembling with both relief and fright. He nudged Hiccup's back, the only thing exposed from his father's big hands. Stoick felt the dragon's presence and released his son slowly, but steadied his weak frame in his arms.

Hiccup smiled up at his best friend, reaching his hand out slowly. Toothless's muzzle met him in the air, nudging his hand further. "Hey, b-bud," Hiccup whispered, his voice damaged and fainter from the earlier use. Toothless showed of his gums as he growled, nuzzling Hiccup's side. Hiccup chuckled, sitting up in his father's lap. He scratched the back of Toothless's ear flaps, moving down to his chin. He smiled at his best friend's delighted expression, but remembered the black blur. "D-did you save me bud?" Toothless pulled away, smiling as he nodded and jumped around the two with happiness.

Hiccup couldn't help but laugh at the silliness of his dragon, though it was adorable. "Atta boy," Hiccup chuckled, hugging Toothless's neck once he stopped in front of him with his famous smile. "I don't know what I would have done without you, thank you," Toothless cooed, closing his eyes for a brief second before opening his right eye, peeking up at his rider's father. Stoick patted the dragon's neck but pulled away as Toothless pulled out of Hiccup's grip, licking him to death.

"Aww-Toothless! Come on bud," Hiccup laughed, playfully pushing him away. Toothless continues on with showing his happiness, in the night fury way, until he heard a voices calling from behind them. He pulled away, looking at the slobbery filled rider a foot away. Hiccup rolled back on his back, using his dragon's head to support himself, only to cover Toothless's head up with his own saliva. "You didn't think you would get away with that now would you?" Hiccup teased, mimicking Toothless's sassy face.

A pair of arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him in for a bone crushing hug. He choked, his arms in front of him and his eyes wide. But the pair of arms quickly pulled away, followed by a disgusted voice. "Eww," Astrid said, opening her arms to look down at the saliva filled clothes. Hiccup chuckled, only to have someone trip him over Astrid.

The two lay awkwardly on top each other. He tried to push himself up but slipped with his hands on the soft grass, crashing his lips against hers. Their eyes widened and as Hiccup made the move to pull away, Astrid snaked her fingers around his neck, pulling him closer as she deepened the kiss. Hiccup chuckled, kissing back for a second before pulling away, having some saliva from each other lips. Thanks to Toothless.

Hiccup managed to get his balance back and roll over to the side, ending up beside her. Toothless stood over the two of them, saliva dripping from his wet tongue that exposed half of his gums. He looked at the two with wide eyes, one hand on Hiccup's stomach and the other beside Astrid's body. And there he went again.

"Toothless!" Hiccup laughed, pushing him away with Astrid, both laughing crazily as his dragon drenched them with saliva. He sat up, leaning his body on his hands. Astrid copied his move, both of them smiling at each other.

"Okay break it up you two," Stoick chuckled, patting Toothless's head. "Let's get going, and you," He turned towards Hiccup and pointed at him. "Need to get ready for your final task," Hiccup groaned, falling back down with his arms spread.

"Already?" Stoick nodded, walking away with a smile plastered on his face. Toothless walked over to Hiccup, laying his head down on Hiccup's stomach, licking his chin a little. "Don't you dare-

* * *

"I see you're finally ready," Stoick chuckled, taking a zip from his mead. Hiccup rolled his eyes, sitting down by the table.

"No thanks to mister licker here," Hiccup said, gesturing to the dragon sleeping by the fire pit. Toothless growled. Hiccup ignored his warning and turned to his plate of chicken. "What do I have to do to pass the final task?" Hiccup asked, looking up at his father as he took a bite.

"Well," Stoick scratched the back of his neck. "You have to pass all the parts, including the surprise by the end."

"What parts?" Hiccup asked, ignoring the 'surprise', knowing he wouldn't get it out of his father even if he tried.

"Hand to hand combat, bow and arrow, axe throwing and the good old bludgeon game," Stoick paused, smiling at the game. "Then there's the last part. Sword fight," Hiccup wasn't surprised or nervous, since he was a well-trained swordsman, but knowing his father it always had a catch when it sounded easy. "You will fight against your cousin and your friends and to test you we have decided to put you up against Berk's best swordsman. You won't get to know your opponent before the final finally comes," Hiccup nodded, taking in the information.

"But would it be fair for me fighting my friends, or even Snotlout?" Stoick looked at him confused. "I mean, Berk was invaded for two years and I had three years to practice while you were fighting for lives without any other opponent against you than starvation."

Stoick nodded, thinking. "I'm sure Spitelout taught him well in his younger years. Don't you worry," Stoick smiled, standing up to get his sword. "It will give you advantage anyways and secure you the victory of the final task," He said, walking towards the front door. He took his helmet from the table and said, "Finish up, we will be waiting in the academy."

"Alright, see you there," Hiccup called out before stuffing his mouth with a forkful chicken. He quickly ate up his food, swallowing it down with some water before standing up. "Come on Toothless, we have a busy day ahead of us," Toothless groaned in a dragon's tune, standing up lazily and following his rider to the academy.

* * *

"Nice of you to finally show up," Gobber said with an unamused look. Hiccup chuckled, barely catching the axe he pushed against his chest. He ignored his saying and followed him into the middle of the ring where several stations where set up.

"I guess axe throwing first then?" Hiccup muttered, holding the axe in his hand, examining its weight. Definitely not Gronckle iron.

In the middle of the ring stood his friends, besides Heather, all of them holding an axe as they stood before his father, waiting for him. Hiccup made his way to stand beside Fishlegs and Gobber went by his father. Stoick smiled at the audience.

"The final task has finally come. The final task to prove that my son is worthy enough to take the title after me. Worthy enough to protect the hairy hooligan tribe from any future harm," The crowd cheered and dragons roared, watching from the air or next to their riders. "First up, Axe throwing competition! Gobber," Gobber stepped forward and the crowd quieted to let him speak.

"The rules are simple. Hit the center with your axe and you're up for the next task. Stand behind this line and passing it will disqualify you," The teens nodded, grabbing their axes harder before lining up. "Astrid Hofferson," Astrid withdrew her axe, focusing on the target on the other side of the ring. She took a deep breath, bringing her axe back with enough force before throwing it forward, losing it midair in a perfect aim.

"Astrid Hofferson makes a perfect throw!" Mulch whistled, speaking through a horn to make his voice become louder and easier for everyone to hear. Astrid smiled, looking at the target before sitting down on a bench.

"Fishlegs Ingerman," Gobber called out for the teen. Fishlegs stepped forward, his hands trembling in fear. He wasn't fit for this kind of task and he would do anything to avoid the humiliating moment. But there was no way of escaping something he was already a part of.

Fishlegs took a deep breath, rising his axe that shook violently in his grip. The stares from every Viking was on him, sending more pressure through his concentration. He closed his eyes, taking with him the force to throw the axe before releasing his hold on the handle and waiting for a few seconds before opening his eyes once again.

"And Fishlegs passes the test as well! Give it up for Fishlegs Ingerman!" Mulch laughed, cheering on for the husky Viking. Fishlegs smiled, sitting down beside Astrid who patted him on his back, congratulating him.

"Next up we have Ruffnut Thorston!" Gobber announced, looking at Ruffnut who threw her axe in the second his eyes landed on her. The axe flew through the air, heading any other way but towards the target. Ruffnut cheered in the silent air, cheering for herself after having cut of long-bearded Gunnar's hair. Gunnar held his lose hair in his hands, looking down at it in disbelief. Ruffnut high fived her brother before sitting down with Fishlegs and Astrid, her smile never fading.

"Uh…," Gobber gasped. He shook his head before breaking the silence. "Next up we have Tuffnut Thorston," The sound of metal hitting the ground was heard. All eyes turned to Tuffnut who looked at Gobber with a bored look.

"Well I'm out, Ruffnut stole my target," He shrugged, sitting down on the bench next to his sister, leaning back against a drain with his legs crossed and arms behind his head.

Gobber sighed, turning back to the crowd. "Next up we have Snotlout Jorgenson!" Snotlout smirked, looking at Gobber.

"Oh please, I can do this in my sleep," Snotlout bragged, throwing the axe over his shoulder. Hiccup opened his mouth to comment back. "Shut up Hiccup," Hiccup backed up, holding his free hand up and the murderous weapon with his other.

"Just throw the axe already!" Astrid shouted from the bench, a few Vikings agreeing with her.

"Okay, okay, sheesh!" Snotlout readied his axe, smiling up at a few girls who fainted. He threw his axe, watching it confidently hit the center of the target. Snotlout snickered, turning to Hiccup. "Good luck beating that, fishbone."

"Ahaha, hilarious," Hiccup laughed sarcastically, waiting for Gobber to speak up.

"Lastly, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third," Hiccup ignored Snotlout laughing at his name and stared at the target, remembering back to his practice with Camicazi.

 _"_ _Remember," Camicazi had said. "Take deep breaths and use all the time you need-"_

He let the air go through his nostrils, down his lungs and back out a short second after. He repeated his way of calming down his tensed body before narrowing his eyes, moving the axe backwards with his arm going ninety degrees to his side. He closed his eyes, before opening them once again and throwing the axe towards the target.

"And Hiccup makes a perfect throw!" Hiccup smiled, standing back up before walking over to his father, standing in front of him in a line with his friends.

"When I say your names, please step forward," Stoick said. "Astrid Hofferson," Astrid stepped forward. "Fishlegs Ingerman," Fishlegs stepped forward. "Snotlout Jorgenson," Snotlout stepped forward. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third," Hiccup stepped forward. "You four are to continue until the last challenge. If you lose a task, you're out," The teens nodded. "Next up, the aiming competition!"


	91. Chapter 91

It was in the middle of the day and Vikings were cheering on for the final task. Or what they all called the surprising final. Hiccup was the last man standing. Fishlegs defeated by the three other youths in the bow and arrow competition, Astrid defeated by Hiccup in hand to hand combat and lastly Snotlout defeated by Hiccup in the famous Berkian way of the bludgeon game. Hiccup stood in front of his father, waiting for him to bring out his opponent in sword fighting. He had his sword in his hand, not really liking the idea of using real weapons.

"Finally, after hard focus on the tasks, the final one has finally come," Stoick announced. "The rules are simple. You're allowed to pick up any weapon in the ring, but you will be starting with a sword and a shield," Gobber handed Hiccup a shield, in which he held in his right hand. "The fight will last until last man standing in a safe posture wins. If there's any way of going for the kill, the task is finished," Hiccup nodded, waiting for his father to call out for his opponent. "And your opponent," Stoick paused, removing his cloak and trading a sword and a shield for his cape with Gobber. "Will be me," Hiccup's eyes widened.

"What? No! I can't fight you!?" Hiccup said. He knew he could easily beat his father, but that wasn't what he meant. "What if I hurt you?" hiccup shouted, gesturing with his sword.

"As long as you don't kill me I'll be fine," Stoick chuckled, walking pass Hiccup and standing within an arm's reach. "I'm a Viking, I can handle a bruise or two," Hiccup sighed in defeat, reading his sword.

"Ready, set, go!" Gobber announced. Stoick charged at Hiccup with a strike from above his head. Hiccup dodged it, hearing the sword hit the ground, and pushed his father down with his shield, making no move to go further. Instead he stepped back, waiting for his father's next move.

Stoick got back on his feet after the light blow, but enough to trip him over because of unbalanced feet, and turned around to face Hiccup. Once again, Stoick charged, this time both their swords clinging together. Either one of them trying to parry of the other. Hiccup kicked his father to the ground, going on top him with his shield separating them from each other. Stoick pushed Hiccup off of him with his arm and stood up.

Hiccup charged this time, his sword at his side and shield in the other. He swung at his father who parried the blow by holding his sword vertical. Hiccup switched his sword over to his right hand and shield in the left to block Stoick's pressure. He kicked his father's knee, making Stoick fall to the ground, dropping his sword in the process. Stoick knocked hiccup's shield out of his hands with his own, kicking it away from him and waited for Hiccup's next move.

"Is that all you got?" Stoick teased, smiling a little. Hiccup chuckled, holding his sword in front of him.

"Not even close," He said before charging. Stoick expected him to strike with his sword but instead Hiccup tricked him, stopping the sword in midair. In a flash he grabbed Stoick's shield, ripping it out of his hands before standing back up. Stoick was now completely unarmed.

"Not bad," Stoick said, but was shocked when Hiccup dropped his sword, kicking it away.

"Just to make it fair," Hiccup shrugged. "Besides, I only fight fair," He said, throwing his shield away. Stoick shook his head, chuckling a little, before charging. He threw a fist towards Hiccup's side, but Hiccup ducked, backing away, and so on. Hiccup ducked Stoick's blow, backed away, threw a punch, blocked, backed away and repeated until he was finally closer to the weapons laying on the table. Calculated, he moved his back into the table, taking a small dagger and sheathing it into his belt. Stoick threw another punch, getting ready to take the chance he had and steal a weapon, but instead Hiccup grabbed Stoick's hand, twisting it enough to send him down on his knees.

Stoick gritted his teeth through the pain, but Hiccup released his grip, letting him free for a second before grabbing the nearest shield, pushing Stoick down with it and pinning him down with the shield. Hiccup unsheathed his dagger, carefully pressing it against Stoick's throat. He heard the crowd start the countdown.

"Three!" The crowd cheered.

Stoick tried to push him off of him but Hiccup's strength was overwhelming him in his position.

"Two!" The crowd counted down.

Hiccup barely held the dagger to his skin, afraid he would leave a single mark. If he did, he knew he would be guilty for a while.

"One!" The crowd chanted Hiccup's name, cheering and whistling for the great battle between the heir and the chief. Hiccup removed the dagger, climbing off of his father and throwing the shield away before helping him up.

"Not bad at all," Stoick smiled, grabbing Hiccup's forearm in a manly handshake. Hiccup smiled, grabbing his father's forearm before pulling him in for a hug. Both of them breathing heavily in each other's necks.

"You're not so bad yourself," Hiccup chuckled, pulling away. Stoick smiled, turning around to face the crowd.

"I'm happy to announce that the final task is finally over!" The crowd roared with cheers. Stoick turned to his son, placing an approving hand on his shoulder. "Give it up for Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third!"

In honor and celebrations for Hiccup's victory, a party was thrown in the Great Hall. Unfortunately, it didn't go as Hiccup had expected it to. Astrid was off with Ruffnut, riding Heather back to her island, saying they needed some girl talk, in which Astrid was dragged into. This also left Hiccup alone with the boys.

Hiccup walked through the great hall, heading over to his friends table, after his evening flight with Toothless, in which was preoccupied by competitive Vikings drinking lots, and I'm saying lots, of mead.

"There he is!" The Vikings surrounding the table said, everyone looking over at Hiccup. Gobber smiled, walking away to get something.

"Here I am," Hiccup laughed nervously, unsure of approaching the drunken Vikings. He stood in front of the table, finding both Berkians and Outcasts celebrating with several goblets of mead along with his friends who seemed at the tip of the ice berg by ending up looking like them.

A goblet of mead slammed down on the table in front of Hiccup. Hiccup looked down at the mead as it splashed thick liquid down the sides of the goblet, soaking the table as well. Looking up, he found Gobber smiling, in a drunk way, by his shoulder, holding his very own cup of mead in his prosthetic made container. Hiccup gulped.

"Go on," Gobber smiled, pushing him towards the mead. Hiccup stumbled, catching himself on the table to avoid a face soaked with mead. Hiccup backed away, his hands raising up in defense.

"I d-don't drink," He stuttered, bumping into Gobber who threw his arm around Hiccup's neck.

"Come on," Gobber pouted, sending shivers down Hiccup's spine. "You're nineteen!"

"I'm f-fine, really-

"Come on Hiccup," Snotlout said, pushing the goblet into his hands. "It's only one goblet and you're done," Unfortunately, Snotlout didn't tell him what he meant by that. Hiccup looked down at the goblet in his hands, the scent of alcohol mixed with honey filling his nostrils. He looked back up at Snotlout.

"Only one can't be bad, right?" Hiccup said nervously. The crowd whistled, cheering him on as more Vikings joined the table. Hiccup brought the goblet up to his lips, the scent burning his nostrils. Closing his eyes, he tipped the goblet over and downed the thick liquid, almost choking at the taste of alcohol. Instead of what it did, Hiccup felt as if the alcohol was heading for his brain instead of down to his stomach. His head spun and ached and as he slammed the empty goblet on the table, it all stopped at once.

Hiccup shook his head, feeling someone grab his hand and lift it up. The crowd roared, mixed with laughter and applause. Hiccup smiled, laughing as he raised his other hand up high, beating the air in victory. For the first time in his life had he gotten the pleasure of tasting the alcohol.

* * *

Astrid dismounted Stormfly after dropping Heather off at her house. She smiled, rubbing her dragon's chin before opening the door to find out what all the commotion beneath the doors was. Her eyes landed immediately on the dancing and cheering Vikings smiling and laughing with each other, each and every one of them holding a goblet of mead. Of course, the kids were still keeping themselves to drinking water.

Her eyes wandered around the room, landing on her friends table where she found Snotlout passed out on the table, empty goblets surrounding him. Almost covering the whole table except for the certain Viking leaning on it with his elbow, knuckle supporting his head while communicating with his night fury.

With a smile, she grabbed a nearby goblet of mead before walking over to Hiccup. Upon reaching the table she almost dropped her mead.

Hiccup cupped Toothless's cheek's, looking deep into the dragon's eyes showing no glaze. "I love you, Astrid," Hiccup said, earning a roll of eyes from both Toothless and Astrid. Astrid stood beside Toothless, getting a confused, dazed look from Hiccup. "Why is there two of you?" Astrid was about to answer but Hiccup silenced 'both Astrids' with a finger in the air. "I know exactly why there's two of you."

"And what may that be, dragon boy?" Astrid said, clearly unamused. "Freya finally decided to give me more beauty to look at," Hiccup smiled goofily, moving a fist to his mouth to silence a burp. Astrid blushed, shaking her head with a laugh.

"How much mead did they give you?" Astrid giggled, trying to hold back her laughter. Hiccup furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, looking beside him to count the goblets. He poked one of the cups, tilting it over before trying to poke another but ending up poking the air.

"I have no idea," He said, looking as dazed as ever. "BUT!" Hiccup said, standing up in top speed while pointing his finger in the air. "I said butt," Hiccup mumbled with a chuckle, earning a giggle from the blonde Viking. "I'm pretty sure I can enjoy looking at," Hiccup poked his finger, missing both Astrid and Toothless who was only Astrid in his eyes. "you," He said, referring to Astrid. He smiled goofily with a laugh. Hiccup grabbed a goblet filled with mead, taking it up to his mouth but Astrid took it out of his hand. "Hey!" Hiccup pouted.

"Nuh uh, you've had enough for today," Astrid said, placing the goblet on the other end of the table. Hiccup pouted, looking at her with sad eyes.

"I was just drinking that," He said, sorrow in his voice.

"Not anymore!" Astrid said, taking his arm around his neck and walking towards the door with Toothless on their heels.

"Are we going where I think we're going?" Hiccup asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Astrid's eyes widened.

"N-no, we're not," She stuttered.

"You're stuttering," Hiccup smiled. "It's cute," Astrid rolled her eyes.

"You're such a dork," Astrid muttered.

"I think your eyes are cute, just like that adorable smile of yours," Hiccup said, almost falling down the first step as he kept her eyes on Astrid who was concentrating on keeping them both from tumbling down the stairs. "You know what I love about you?"

"What could that possibly be?"

"I love you," He said.

"Wow, who knew how much sense you'd make when you are drunk," Astrid said sarcastically.

"If you don't understand I'll mark it in your brain to make you remember that I love you, for being you."

"Don't pressure yourself, it's marked in here already," She said, pointing to her temple. They reached the last step of the stairs and turned towards Hiccup's house.

"When did I get a neighbor?" Hiccup asked, scratching his head in confusion. "Who's the neighbor?" Astrid opened her mouth to answer when suddenly Hiccup ran over to what was actually a sheep pen, kneeling down by one of the sheep. He patted the sheep's head with a smile. "Welcome to Berk! Are you new here?"

"Baa," The sheep replied, bending down to eat some more grass.

"You must be really special! Getting your house beside the chief's house and everything!" Hiccup said enthusiastically.

Astrid watched in the background, looking at Toothless who returned the same frown of hers. "Go get him boy," She whispered and the reptile bounced over to his rider, biting his tunic before throwing him on his back and running over to the door where Astrid stood holding it open. "Say good night to your new neighbor Hiccup," Astrid said teasingly. Hiccup smiled like a six year old kid, turning to the sheep with a wave.

"Good night Bob!" Hiccup waved, but scratched his head confused. "Or was it Phil?" He muttered, not noticing that Astrid had already slammed the door and Toothless waiting, with his rider on his back, by Hiccup's bed. Astrid came up the stairs, picking Hiccup up bridal style. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling her closer to him, as Astrid had laid him down, making her fall on top of him and their lips crashing.

Hiccup put his hand in her braid, carefully untying her braids as he kept her busy with the passionate kiss. Astrid pulled away, feeling her hair go over her other shoulder loosely. Hiccup snuggled up in her chest, wrapping his arms around his waist without even bothering removing his prosthetic or taking the blanket over them. "I still love you," and in a second he was out like a light.

Astrid smiled, taking her fingers in his hair to make it more comfortable. They had never said the four lettered word, until this one night when it came out through Hiccup's drunk condition. But Astrid was confident that it was no lie and whispered, "I love you too, dragon boy."


	92. Chapter 92

Hiccup stirred in his sleep. Eyes squeezed shut in pain. But that wasn't what bothered him. He was lying against something soft and warm. It was comfortable. He felt someone stroking his hair, something that gave him comfort, and himself going slowly up and down.

Hiccup moved his fingers but found something intertwined with them. Panic consumed his body and in an instant, shoving away the headache, he sat up and moved away from whatever was with him.

"Easy there," A calm voice, angelic in Hiccup's ears, said. Hiccup looked behind him in a blurred vision, finding Astrid sitting there with worried blue orbs. He took a deep shaky breath, sitting back down, as he was up in the air before she spoke up, and rubbed his eyes to wake them up from his slumber. "You okay?" Hiccup nodded, a little too fast. Astrid looked at him.

"Just a Deja vu," He said, lying down with his legs holding its contact with the floor. "What happened?" He asked to change topic. Astrid shook her head, getting out of her curiosity trance of why Hiccup squirmed away from her hand.

"Don't you remember anything?" Astrid asked, tilting her head to the side with curious eyes. Hiccup rubbed his eyes, trying to think back.

"The last thing I remember was Gobber offering me some-" Hiccup cut himself off. Eyes wide as melons. He looked to his side, meeting Astrid's curious gaze with his own shocked one. "Did I get…" Hiccup trailed off.

"Oh yes you did mister," Hiccup groaned, closing his eyes with both hands covering his face. "You should've seen yourself," Astrid laughed, falling back against the headboard of his bed.

"Do I even want to know what I did?" Hiccup asked tiredly.

"You may want to know because there were a few witnesses you know," Astrid smiled, staring down at him.

"Alright, alright," Hiccup said, waving the air to show her she could continue.

"Let's see," Astrid said playfully. "When I came back from Heather's island I found you in the Great Hall surrounded by goblets of mead," She said. Hiccup turned to her with a confused face.

"Was that all? Huh, not as bad as I expec-

"You also thought I was Toothless, cupped his cheeks and told him, I love you Astrid," Said dragon grumbled with closed eyes. Hiccup blushed as Astrid laughed, remembering the scene. Hiccup looked at her with crimson red cheeks. Slowly, he sat up, ignoring his aching body, and sat with crossed legs towards her.

"Uhm…I guess I didn't exactly…lie either," He muttered, looking down at his feet. Astrid stopped laughing and sat up, mirroring his position. She looked at him.

"So you meant what you said?" She asked. Hiccup looked up at her with shyness. He feared she wouldn't feel the same thing for him. And if she didn't, he had humiliated himself and most likely ruined their comfortable connection. From then on it could change. It could become awkward, knowing one of them loved the other but the other didn't feel the same way.

Hiccup nodded shyly.

Astrid looked at him. Her eyes lit up as the corners of her mouth tuned, the dimples in her cheeks appeared as her whole face showed the amusement of the moment.

Hiccup looked at her confused, a feeling of confidence removing his frightened mind. He felt Astrid's hands take a hold of his neck quickly, bringing them towards each other. Hiccup expected one of her surprising kisses, but their faces stopped with barely inches separating them from each other. Emerald eyes locked with blue orbs.

"Then…," Hiccup felt her sweet scent in his nostrils, escaping her parted lips. "I love you too," She said, closing the gap between their lips. Her soft lips felt smooth against Hiccup's, and though they were cold, Hiccup warmed them up with passion.

Their kiss was short, but for them it felt like hours passed by as their lips moved against each other. As Hiccup snaked his hand around her waist and another caressing her right cheek.

They pulled away slowly, letting their quick breaths flow into the other's nostrils. Though Hiccup's breath smelled, and tasted, like mead, it was still a hint of his own scent in between it all. And Astrid loved it.

Their nose touched, both lips parted, but neither said something. They enjoyed the silence between them.

"Did I make a big fool out of myself?" Hiccup whispered, his awkward smile showing on his lips.

Astrid nodded.

"How bad was it?" He asked, not really knowing if he wanted to know or not.

"So bad you treated a sheep like a chief," Astrid laughed. "You even named the sheep!"

"Oh gods," Hiccup said, falling against her chest to hide his red cheeks. Her chest moved up and down to the rhythm of her laughs, but faded into allowing him the sound of her heartbeats. He enjoyed the only sound he could hear, coming from her heart. Closing his eyes, he rested against her chest, taking in her scent as his pain slowly came back to him.

Hiccup's head pounded like a war drum. His stomach twisted as the alcohol stored in his stomach moved up in his throat. Quickly, Hiccup pushed himself up, covered his mouth and ran to his desk, bending over the bucket of sloppy sketches. He gripped the bucket hard, opening his mouth just in time to vomit. The thick, clumpy liquid clawed at his throat and nostrils.

Astrid jumped out of his bed and rushed over to his side, holding his head up a little to prevent the barf from emptying through his nose. She ran her fingers from his hairline and caught the locks of auburn hair between her fingers while moving her hand deeper into his hair to keep the locks out of the way, her other hand rubbing circles on his back.

Hiccup's knuckles turned white from his grip, and the lack of energy he just had emptied itself through the barfing. His stomach twists and clenches, emptying itself of every goblet of mead he drank the evening before. For a second it stopped, enough for Astrid to speak up.

"You okay?" Hiccup nodded shakenly, leaning his head against Astrid hand, but his stomach kept emptying itself. Once it stopped, Astrid went down stairs to get a towel and some water. Toothless walked over to his rider worriedly.

"I'm fine bud," Hiccup said, his throat sore and smelly. Toothless cooed, nudging his side. Hiccup waved it off, thinking it was the same as every other time, but that was until Toothless pushed him up on his back and walked over to his bed before lying him down.

Astrid came back upstairs with a towel and some water. She looked at Hiccup confused as to why he was in his bed and not by the bucket.

"Ask mister over protective reptile here," Hiccup said, frowning at Toothless who gave him an annoyed look and sat down beside his bed. Astrid gave him the towel to dry his mouth with. "Thank you," She smiled, sitting down next to him.

"So…," Astrid started, trying to start a conversation. "What are your plans for today?" She asked, moving one leg on the bed and the other on the floor.

"Well, my father gave me a day off from chiefing, though I have to sign the peace treaty with the outcasts later before they leave," Hiccup said, holding one finger up. "I also have to help Gobber in the forge, make your saddles and I'm going to make the 'armor', as you could call it, when I'm done," Astrid sighed, standing up.

"Then you better get started," She said, walking towards the door.

"No goodbye kiss?" Hiccup pouted.

"Later," Astrid said, walking down the stairs and leaving the house.

Hiccup sighed, lying down on his bed to face Toothless. "Well bud, you heard her," Toothless cocked his head to the side. "Let's get to work."

* * *

Toothless watched his rider curiously as Hiccup sat with his sketches, drawing line after line. Hiccup had just finished up his work with Gobber, having taken a few breaks due to the nausea, and was starting to get his friends saddles done. But, he wanted a break and decided therefor to work on his own stuff. And there he sat by his sketches, drawing each piece, for his inventions, on papers.

"What do you think bud?" Hiccup asked, putting all the pieces over each other. Toothless cooed with a smile.

Hiccup chuckled, standing up. He took his sketches with him and walked out of the hut and into the main room, of the forge, where he laid his sketches down on a table and got out some leather he recently got from Trader Johann. It wasn't the normal type of leather one would want. Instead of plain simple with no patterns he decided to get something more his style and went for the one with several diamond shapes as a pattern over the whole leather.

He laid the leather down on a table, carefully taking a thin layer of leather over one of the sides, to keep him warm, and cutting it out before sewing the two different types of leather together. Toothless looked over his shoulder as Hiccup brushed off imaginary dust from the leather, stretching it out flat.

Hiccup took it around his waist with it fitting perfectly. He smiled, laying the piece back before measuring with a band, from beneath his shoulder and to the top. He took a charcoal and marked the length on the top of the leather, adding a few inches because it would bend over his shoulder.

Hiccup walked over to a wall, where all the tools were, and grabbed a knife and a scissor. He walked back over to his leather suit and folded the leather out with the thin leather facing down on the table. With his charcoal, he started making lines to where his arms and head would be. When finished, he took the knife and carved the leather before cutting the holes with the scissors to make the edges smooth.

Hiccup picked up the pieces, trying it on before nodding satisfied. He picked up a needle and a thread and started sewing it together, with barely visible x's as a pattern for the thread, in a form of a vest. He moved over to the next paper, placing the leather vest securely by his sketches and continued on with next step.

The drawing he was looking at was the shape, measure and color, yes color, of his shoulder pads. He would need two beneath the original one in case of crash landings on his shoulder.

In which he unfortunately has a habit of doing.

With Hiccup being Hiccup, he had already gotten ahead of his work. He had searched, and asked, many Vikings who are known for their leather, also the shop just down the street where they kept some spare leather, if they had any good leather for his suit. Of course, some of them gave him the best they had, but Berkian leather was by the farthest worst Hiccup had ever seen. This was another reason to why he was making three layers for his shoulder pads, the outermost layer being of leather from another tribe for more secure protection.

Same for the rest of his armor in which he decided a special color for.

Black.

And some parts red.

He brought the shoulder pads on the table, two of them in the same shapes with nothing else but shining, hard and simple leather, and the other two, the bottom, with thin edges of smooth leather surrounding four thick lines in the center.

Pushing them away a little, he brought out the next sketch. The paper containing three of his belts, but knowing he would only get one, two if he was lucky, done until the time he would be needed in the Great Hall for the peace treaty.

Hiccup took out two steel nails from a shield and placed them carefully, since they were small and slender, on the table before going over to one of Gobber's old belts. "He really needs to use these belts more often," Hiccup muttered, thinking back on an accident he unfortunately witnessed. "Eww," Hiccup said disgusted, shaking the memory off his mind.

For now.

He removed most of the parts except the buckle and one of the loops. He laid the last parts of the belt down on the table, taking out the symbol of his family, which they recently made due to the dragons living with them but they also kept the traditional chief symbol, and placing it on the belt between the loop and the buckle. "Perfect," Hiccup smiled, sewing the symbol to the belt.

Then he did the same for his next belt, having a buckle with the shape of a circle, his safety harnesses on both sides and without placing the symbol on it.

When finished, he took his leather vest and placed it on the table where he put the pieces in its rightful places and started sewing them on. Everything except the second layer of his right shoulder pad and the belt, with the symbol on, going over his left shoulder and across his chest. He pushed the vest to the side, taking some paint down from a shelf and got his paint brush. Then he turned to Toothless.

"What do you say bud?" Toothless's head went up from his paws and he stared questioningly at his rider. "Do you allow me to have your 'crest' on my shoulder pad?" Hiccup said playfully, bowing as if he was a servant and speaking to someone royal. Toothless sat proud with his head high, spine straight and closed eyes. He growled and nodded, earning a roll of eyes from Hiccup. "You're so dramatic," Hiccup chuckled.

Toothless raised a scaly eyebrow at him.

Hiccup smiled, sitting on the table and grabbing the paint brush as he started painting the familiar crest, symbol as many would call it, onto his right middle shoulder pad, knowing it would keep Toothless in mind every time he took it off if his dragon wasn't there. Like in the times of Snoggletog.

With deep concentration, Hiccup finally finished his shoulder pad and painting some leather, which was beneath his belt, black. It would connect the left shoulder pads to his belt. He smiled, satisfied with his work and jumped off the table, placing the pieces on. He sewed the pieces together in its rightful places before looking at his work.

"Now… Let's try this on," Hiccup said, carefully sliding his hand through the side holes and his head in the big one at the top. He adjusted the shoulder pads, buckling up the belt before putting the small, thin nails on both ends to keep it from sliding off.

Hiccup walked over to another basket, getting leather bindings. He pulled out his leather gloves, which he made recently, and took them on with only a string keeping them on to his middle finger. Then he took two long bindings, wrapped them around his wrists to secure the gloves of leather tighter.

Toothless opened his eyes, noticing his rider move from his position. Looking up he saw Hiccup walk over to a basket and grab more leather. Hiccup brushed off the dust of the leather, making it come over to Toothless. The dust went in his nostrils, making his nose cringe.

BOOM!

Hiccup yelped, hearing the familiar sound of a plasma bolt. He turned around towards Toothless who sat in a trance like state.

"Toothless?" Hiccup asked a little unsure. He looked into Toothless's pupils, noticing a glint of orange light in them. In panic he turned around, finding the stove burning up. "Gahh!" Hiccup yelped, looking around for the bucket they always kept for such situations. He spotted it beside the burning stove. "Oh great," Hiccup muttered. "Toothless! Do something!" Hiccup yelled in panic, grabbing the closest carpet and started blowing out the fire with it. The fire died down and Hiccup turned to Toothless, finding him playing with a spark. "Huh," Hiccup shrugged.

Then he remembered one of his sketches. With a wide smile he ran to his desk, grabbed his notebook and flipped through pages as he walked back out to Toothless. "Where is it," Hiccup repeated over and over again, flipping through pages, sometimes going backwards because he flipped the page to fast, in search for one of his earlier, not started, inventions.

"AHA!" Toothless jumped up in fright, growling at Hiccup who ignored the surprised dragon. Hiccup pulled a chair beneath him and sat down, erasing a few lines here and there on the sketch. Originally, the sketch was made the day he started dragon training and waited for the first class to start, but the sword was made for a weapon unlike this one. He erased everything but the carved handle, added some buttons and openings here and there before changing the shape of the sword.

Instead of having it sharp, and useful for harm, he wanted it for something else. He wanted it for dragons. Not killing them of course, but taming them.

In his sketch, he changed the bottom of the sword into a Zipplebacks head because of its gas, in which he would insert as an extra invention to his sword with the horn as a button to release it with.

He designed the handle, keeping its old carving, to open it up, exposing two canisters. The one close to the blade filled with monstrous nightmare fluid and the other filled with Zippleback gas. He designed the opposite end of the Zippleback head to have two buttons. One to extend the retractable blade with and on the left side, if you held it up in front of you, was a lighter.

The lighter is designed to set fire to the blade as it gets coated in flames by the canister of monstrous nightmare fluid when it's retracted. Which is another reason to why that canister was by the blade instead of by the bottom.

All he now needed to do was to make it.

* * *

Hiccup sat in his chair, holding the sword, made of some left over Gronkle iron, in his hand lightly while he carved, with a sharp knife, into the handle to make a braided pattern. He was deep in concentration, feeling the weight of the sword after he had inserted the canisters he got from a villager's monstrous nightmare.

He would have to ask the twins if he could borrow barf and belch later in the academy.

BOOM!

Hiccup jumped up from his chair in surprise, almost carving wrong on his blade.

"Urgh, what now?" Hiccup complained, hoping Toothless didn't cause another explosion. He searched around in the forge, expecting smoke nearby but he couldn't find anything. "That was weird," Hiccup shrugged, sitting back down to continue on with his own business. Suddenly there were screams and roars from outside, followed by several other explosions. Hiccup ran out, followed by Toothless, and was met by a sight he had never expected.

There were new species of…dragons.


	93. Chapter 93

New species of dragons were setting fire on houses or breaking them down with their own paws and snouts. Hiccup watched in awe, but then remembered he should probably do something.

"We need to get these dragons under control!" Hiccup said, jumping on Toothless and gripping the saddle tight. He attached his prosthetic leg to the stirrup and patted Toothless's neck, to allow him flight, while attaching his other leg to the stirrup. Then the two of them were airborne.

Astrid whistled for Stormfly and as she waited, she took in the sight even further. Buildings were either in fire, barely standing or already in ruins. The unfamiliar dragons were on top of houses, walking on the roof tops or surrounding the Vikings inside them. But to Astrid, it seemed like they were searching for something.

Stormfly squawked from the air, landing beside her rider with a thud. Astrid patted her dragons head, jumping on her back before the two of them left the ground to find out what was going on. They flew over the village until Astrid spotted Fishlegs down in the streets, trying to stop the dragons, surrounding him, from destroying more houses. "Down there, girl."

Astrid jumped off of Stormfly before she even got time to land. She took a summersault to and before stumbling, as she ran, over to Fishlegs. "Fishlegs!" Said person turned around. "What in the name of Thor is going on here?" She asked, gesturing with both arms to their surroundings.

"I don't know!" Fishlegs said frightened. He yelped as he ducked from an incoming fireball. "Everything was fine until the dragons were spotted on the horizon," Fishlegs shrieked.

"We need to get them away from the village," Astrid said, running over to Stormfly. "Do your thing girl," Stormfly squawked, holding out her tail. She whipped her tail in the air, releasing spikes, blue and yellow, towards a dragon that lay on the ground…sleeping?

"Would you look at that," Fishlegs said, looking at the sleeping dragon. He walked over to it, inspecting it for as long as he can incase the dragon were to jump on him any minute. But didn't. "That's weird-AH!" Fishlegs screamed, jumping behind Meatlug as the lazy dragon opened its eyes, revealing yellow eyes similar to Stormfly's, just a hint of orange in its color.

Fishlegs peeked over Meatlug's back, looking at the dragon with wide eyes. The dragon barely looked up at him with its small open gaze. Its snout was huge, considering the small, cube like eyes. Ears were farther away from both eyes and snout, and its body structure reminded Fishlegs of a Gronckle, except that it was larger in size and had larger wings.

Meatlug walked away from her rider. "Meatlug?" Fishlegs asked, but Meatlug ignored him. She walked over to the dragon, nuzzling its side but got nothing but a lazy growl and a little smoke escaping its nostrils. She sat down by the dragon, looking at it while Fishlegs inspected it further.

"I'm no dragon expert but this must be the laziest dragon I've ever seen," Astrid pointed out with a chuckle. Fishlegs shrugged.

Hiccup flew above the two, hovering on Toothless above them. "Anyone like to fill me in on what's going on here?" He yelled, holding the trigger of his sword incase needed.

"We were wondering about the same thing!" Astrid yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Okay, I better find my Dad-

ROAR!

An ear-piercing roar filled the ears of Berk. Every wild dragon snapped their heads away from their destruction and up in the air. Seconds later taking flight in the same direction. Toothless roared, waiting for his rider's command.

"Let's follow them bud," Hiccup said, patting his head. Toothless growled, flapping his wings to the side and setting direction to the wild dragons. The two flew past every dragon, trying to get to the front.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed, finding it hard to see between the wings and figures of dragons all heading towards the same place in a pack. He steered desperately through wings and past tails, wanting to keep himself from crashing. "Okay, bud, fly a little lower," Toothless growled, obeying and the two flew below ever wild dragon that kept high above ground. Hiccup looked forward, finding dragons landing around in a plaza. He took his chance and steered Toothless through a gap, ending up above all the dragons on the ground. He looked around curiously, following the dragon's heads that was snapped in the direction of their…food storage.

"Oh please don't let this be another Red Death scenario," Hiccup groaned. "Take us down bud," Hiccup patted his head, pointing to the front door of the storage where a huge dragon, green and red, was trying to smash to door down with its skull. Toothless shot a small plasma, resulting with the wild dragons taking a step back. By that, Toothless landed in the small clearing to block the entrance. The second Toothless landed, Hiccup jumped down on the ground with bent knees, clicking his sword quickly and held it up in front of him.

"It worked," Hiccup smiled gleefully, admiring the flames as he waved it in front of him. He stood up straight, examining the sword to see if the metal melted. It didn't. "I can't believe I made a flaming sword," Hiccup whispered, halfway squealed, in awe, thinking that it was probably his best invention so far.

A roar brought him out of his trance and snapped him back to the dragon walking towards him. The green and red dragon was huge in Hiccup's eyes. Now that he was standing face to face with it. It's eyes was white with black slits, horn beneath and above its muzzle, making it look like a two sided axe. It had two long horns that looked like ears, huge nostrils that sent warm air towards Hiccup's body.

Though it sent chills down his spine, Hiccup kept his eyes on the dragon and examined it further. His, it was obvious it was a he, had small hands but long claws, the scales on his neck up to his wings looked like incredible armor.

Every part of his huge body was green; some parts a faint color of orange, except for its belly that was white and skull and wings both a mixed color of red and green.

The dragon growled, steam escaping its nostrils.

"Easy there," Hiccup said, taking a step back to give room for his sword without hurting the dragon. That is, if the dragon could even get pained by the touch of fire. "I'm not here to hurt you," He whispered calmly, waving the sword in front of him. Slowly, the dragon's eyes moved to the sword. "I know why you're here."

More dragons followed the sword's movements. Their pupils growing from their usual slits. "You're just a little hungry aren't you boy?" Hiccup whispered, holding the sword away from the dragon and over to the others. He reached out his hand slowly, noticing the dragon's attention turning towards him.

"Good job son! I'm pretty sure no one else could have done this as quickly as you," Stoick's voice ringed in Hiccup's ear, breaking the bond between him and the armored dragon. Hiccup jumped back as he felt his father's hand on his shoulder. He turned around; about to hush his father down since all the dragons were glaring at them.

Stoick reached out to pet the dragon's head, thinking it was tamed. "No, Dad, don't!" Hiccup screamed, retracing his sword. But it was too late.

The dragon took a harsh grip on the wood beneath their feet, bouncing towards Stoick who's eyes went wide and as instinct punched the dragon away by its jaw. This set chaos out on the village once more.

Dragons, looking as in the same specie of the one Stoick just hit, flew up in the air, trying to escape the fight between the green dragon and the chief. Hiccup ran a hand through his hair, watching the dragons fly away in every direction of Berk. But his attention turned quickly back to his father who kicked the dragon away from him.

"Dad! Don't hurt him!" Hiccup screamed, trying to break the fight.

"Me hurt him? He's the one who almost crushed my skull!" Stoick yelled back, grabbing the dragon by its horns to keep it from eating him alive.

"Well this isn't exactly how you should keep it from doing so!" Hiccup yelled, ducking as the dragon's tail swung at him.

"Tell that to him!" Stoick yelled back, using all his strength to keep the dragon from bouncing on him. Hiccup groaned, running beside his father. Stoick pushed the dragon away from him, both having a distance between each other.

Hiccup took this as his opportunity and jumped between the two of them, pulling his flaming sword out once again. It didn't light up. "Oh man, not now!" Hiccup said in clear panic, banging the handle against his hand. He looked up stressed, finding the dragon ready to bounce on him as well. In the last minute, he threw himself to the side, making the dragon wrestle, horns against arms, with his father once again.

"Come on dad! Can't you just try to bond with it or something?" Hiccup said, covering his head from the incoming tail that had several spines out in every direction.

"Can't you do it?!" Stoick shouted through gritted teeth. Hiccup uncovered himself and sat up. "I can't! It won't let me near him," Hiccup said, standing up on shaky legs. He shook his head, cupping his hands. "Tame him like you did with Thornado!" Hiccup yelled, hoping at least that would help him understand what to do.

"I though you said it was the wrong way!"

"Just do it!" Hiccup yelled. Stoick groaned but agreed. He grabbed its horns, knowing he could take a hold of its tail without getting some serious injuries, and threw him to the side, making the dragon fall to its side.

Hiccup walked over to them a little unsure.

Stoick held the dragon harder to the ground as it tried to shake him off of him. "You're a tough one, but not as though as me," Hiccup rolled his eyes in the back ground, crossing his arms. "Are you done bragging?" Hiccup asked unamused. This time Stoick rolled his eyes, looking at him.

"Maybe," He laughed, letting go of the dragon once it gave up. He took a step away, letting the dragon stand up once again. Their eyes met once again. Stoick gave him a stern look, glaring into the dragon's eyes that cowered and looked away innocently.

"Wow dad, looks like you just tamed a dragon that's just like you," Hiccup chuckled, walking up beside his father. Stoick smiled, looking at the dragon satisfied. But then he remembered back to his old dragon.

"I want him," Hiccup looked at his father confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"He's as tough and brave as me," Stoick pointed out.

"And stubborn," Hiccup muttered.

"So, I want him as my own," Stoick said, hands on his hips. Hiccup chuckled, opening his arms with a gesture towards the dragon.

"He's all yours," He said, walking over to Toothless who laid by the food storage. But then remembered. "AND DON'T FORGET TO BOND WITH HIM THIS TIME!" Hiccup yelled just in time from preventing what happened last time. In which ended with, when he was trying to get his father a new dragon after Thornado, his leg almost falling off.

He had forgotten to try and bond with the dragon by reaching out his hand and asking for his trust. Instead he started mounting the poor Thunderdrum who snapped his jaw towards his leg and flew away instantly later. Hiccup gave up ever since then.

"Alright, Alright," Stoick sighed in defeat, holding his hand out for the dragon.

Hiccup chuckled, mounting Toothless and the two set flight back over to the forge. Unfortunately for them, another thing needed his assistance.

"Hiccup!" A voice called from beneath. Hiccup looked beneath Toothless and found Astrid standing beside a dragon, with their friends and their dragons, waving her hands for him to come down. He patted Toothless's head towards a clearing near them and they landed.

"What is it?" He asked, dismounting his dragon and walking over to them.

"This dragon won't budge," Tuffnut answered for her, lightly nudging its side a couple of times until Belch had to carry him away from the dragon by the back of his fur jacket.

"Pushing a dragon to do something won't help Tuff," Fishlegs 'sassed' with his dragon knowledge.

"Uh guys-

Hiccup tried to interfere, speaking of the dragon in which was now oblivious to the five teens, but Snotlout cut him out.

"Hey Fishlegs!" Fishlegs turned to him. "Why don't you tell us how to help this dragon instead of teaching Tuffnut obvious information," Snotlout snickered, earning a glare from said Viking.

"GUYS!" Hiccup shouted.

"What?!" They asked in unison. Hiccup rolled his eyes, bending down next to the dragon.

"Could we please stop arguing and figure out what is wrong with this dragon?" Hiccup turned to them, not keeping an eye on the dragon that looked clearly offended. The teen's eyes went wide. "For all we know he could be hurt."

"He's not the only one going to get hurt," Ruffnut snickered, waiting for the dragon to fire. Hiccup turned around with wide eyes, noticing the dragon's mouth open, ever so slightly, glowing a hint of orange and red.

"TAKE COVER!" Hiccup shouted, pushing himself back up on his feet before hiding behind a nearby stone.

BOOM!

Hiccup peaked over the stone, finding the dragon looking in the same direction. He followed its muzzle direction, finding a house on fire with Vikings screaming and yelling. Hiccup walked away from the rock, walking next to the dragon again followed by the others.

"Sorry!" He apologized to the Vikings panicking, and turned back to the dragon.

"We should get him to the academy," Astrid suggested. Hiccup nodded.

"What in Odin's skivvies was that?!" A voice yelled from behind them. Gobber pushed his way forward, but his voice didn't sound shocked or petrified. It sounded like Gobber getting metal scrap from Trader Johann.

"Nothing Gobber," Hiccup said simply. "Just another dragon that didn't leave with the rest," Gobber nodded, walking over to the dragon.

"Did it fire recently on the building over there?" Gobber asked excitedly.

"First of all, it's not an it, it's a he," Hiccup held up his thumb. "Second, it did," He showed his index finger. "And third, why are you so excited?" He finished off with his middle finger.

"It's glorious!" Gobber said, holding his hook in his hand. He coughed, straightening himself up like a Viking instead of an over excited little girl. "What are you planning on doing with him?"

"We don't know," Fishlegs said. "For now just put him in the academy to avoid more destruction."

"That's probably a good idea," Gobber shrugged, looking at the mentioned building in flames ."But I want him."

"Gobber-

"Hiccup," Gobber cut his apprentice off. "I know what you're going to say."

"Really? Am I that easy to read?" The other's shrugged in agreement. "Fine," Hiccup groaned.

"Besides," Gobber started. "He could be handy in the forge," Hiccup held his ribs with an arm and the other arm leaning with his elbow on his forearm, supporting his head. He considered if Gobber having a new specie, they don't know the slightest about, in the forge, with unknown abilities and fire power that high, would be such a good thing.

"Fine," Gobber smiled. "But on one condition."

"Here we go again," Gobber muttered with a roll of eyes.

"You train him in the academy and bond with him there," Hiccup said firmly. "And not here in the streets," Gobber nodded. Hiccup sighed in relief, not wanting to be his assistance like he was with his father when he bonded with a dragon. In his mind, Gobber must be five times worse than his father.

"Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff," Hiccup started. "Could you help Gobber?" "Sure," Astrid nodded, speaking for all of them. "Are you joining us?" She asked.

"Can't, got to get ready for the peace treaty," He said, mounting Toothless. "Dad wanted to see me before it started," He noticed, in the corner of his eye, Gobber smiling when he heard it, but shrugged it off and took flight towards his house.


	94. Chapter 94

The minutes were slowly passing by as Hiccup flew over to his house and entered it by the front door.

"Hey dad," Hiccup said, greeting the man who stood with his back towards him. He patted Toothless's head before the two separated, leaving the night fury up in his room. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Stoick didn't answer at first, making Hiccup even more nervous and making him keep the thought that he was indeed in trouble. Hiccup awkwardly stood there, tapping his prosthetic leg on the wood beneath his feet until his father finally turned around. But nothing like Hiccup had expected, was shown on his face.

Stoick had a smile stretched across his dry lips, teeth glistening by the fire in the center of the room. Both arms were stretched forward, holding firmly on the edges of a piece of leather: gold, in an oval shape, carved in the middle with a dragon on it. It was a copy of his own…belt.

"This is the reason," Stoick said, smiling even wider as he walked over to Hiccup. Hiccup could see by then that the belt was small, enough to cover up half of his father's wrist.

If it was a belt then why would he-

"A belt?" Hiccup found himself asking, cutting himself off from his own thoughts. His father nodded eagerly. "What's it for? I mean it wouldn't fit you because-

Hiccup froze.

"Because…?" Stoick asked, his smile fading into an unamused frown. Hiccup looked down at his foot, going back to tapping his prosthetic against the wood and scratching the back of his neck nervously. Stoick sighed, knowing he would get anything out of the boy he gave up. "Try it on," Stoick said, giving it to Hiccup with a warm smile.

"Uh…," Hiccup said, removing his armor before trying to take it on.

"Here," Stoick said, gently taking the belt from Hiccup's small hands and walking behind him.

Hiccup held his hands up to his sides as his father took his hand, holding the belt, beneath his left arm and gently reaching out for it around him with his left, free, hand. Stoick took the two pieces and connected them, tying them around his son's waistline before taking a step back.

Hiccup turned around to his father, keeping his arms up to let himself inspect the new clothing. He swayed his hips, turned sharply with his spine to look on both front and back side of the belt.

"That's not all," Stoick said, his smile feeling warmer yet sadder. Hiccup looked at him puzzled, letting his gaze follow his father's movements towards the chest once again. Stoick bent down, picking up a bundle of fur. He walked over to the table. "Here," He said, stepping to the side to let Hiccup get a look.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked, looking at his father.

"You won't know unless you open it," Stoick said, the sad tone still in both his face and voice. Hiccup rolled his eyes, taking the fur with a gentle touch, in case it was valuable or easily broken. Slowly, he unwrapped the fur, revealing a stuffed toy.

Hiccups studied the stuffed toy carefully, letting his finger across the soft, stained of water, fabric. It was a dragon. Four spikes on its head in a shade of dark yellow and a nose with the form of a ball carrying the same color. Two buttons, and an almost realistic eyeball in the center, was colored in brown while the rest was either blue or yellow.

Hiccup turned the stuffed dragon in his hands, letting him study its side. Small wings were above a sewed in name and tail by the first capital letter while two legs were beneath it. It was his name sewed in runes.

"I remember this," Hiccup whispered, giving the dragon a stroke on its head. Stoick smiled.

"Aye, you should," Stoick said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Your mother made that for you when you were just a baby," A heavy sigh escaped his lips at the thought of his wife. Hiccup turned to his father.

"Don't worry dad," He said seriously. "If mom's out there, I will get her back, starting tomorrow," Stoick laughed, ruffling Hiccup's hair playfully.

"If she is, I'm sure she will come back to us," Hiccup smiled, looking back at the dragon.

"But… how did you find it?"

"Someone reported they had discovered a Berkian chest on our shore and gave it to me," Hiccup nodded. "Now come on, we should get going," Stoick said, removing his hand from his shoulder and walking away to get his helmet.

"Alright," Hiccup said, running up to his room. Toothless smiled to greet his rider, walking over to him in curiosity of what he held in his small hands. He sniffed it and cooed, looking up at him. "Yes Toothless, it's a dragon," Hiccup chuckled. "My mother made it for me," He said on the verge of tears. Toothless cooed, giving him a lick on his cheek. Hiccup laughed. He walked over to his bed, one knee supporting him on the wood and the other keeping him up on the floor. Gently, he placed the dragon in the carved wood by the headboard.

Hiccup took a step back and took a last glance before his father called for him. "I'm coming!" He yelled back, running down the stairs with Toothless.

Stoick closed the door behind his son and his dragon, setting foot towards the Great Hall.

"What's with the belt?" Hiccup asked, looking down and taking a hold of the edge to find it still a bit to grow into.

"Its tradition, Hiccup," Stoick began. "Everyone who signs a peace treaty needs to wear the belt,"

"The outcast's too? Just with their own belt?" Stoick shook his head.

"As far as I know this is only a tradition here on Berk."

"How did you know this was my size?"

"It used to be your mothers, since back then it was normal that the wife of the chief wore it as well. And since you have the same size as her I thought maybe it would work," Stoick laughed, walking up the last steps to the huge door. Before he opened the door he turned to his son. "Remember, be polite and serious," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"I know, I know," Hiccup said, opening the door for them both and walking in. The two were greeted by tables set to the side, leaving only the table surrounding the fire pit in the center of the room. There sat Savage with four of his men by his left side. On his right, there were two empty seats. Hiccup instructed silently by his father, sat down beside Savage and Stoick beside him.

"Traditionally the ceremony of signing a peace treaty begins with a tour around Berk and a feast in the Great Hall," Stoick said. "But since you've accompanied us for these past few weeks we will pass that, for this time," Stoick nodded thankfully to his friend and stood up. "After the peace between Vikings and humans, we have decided to never use dragon blood again," Toothless nudged Hiccup's right leg with a coo.

"I know bud, I'm glad that's finally over," Hiccup said with a small chuckle, earning another coo and nudge from his friend.

"Instead we'll be using," Hoark walked over to Savage, setting down a vase of black liquid and a pencil. "Squid ink," Savage took the pencil and dipped it in the ink before brushing off a little paint on the edge to only leave behind a few streaks of ink, but enough to write short with. In front of him lay the peace treaty he had read while waiting.

"Do you, Savage, the new leader of the outcasts, promise to be our allies at all times, to never pair up against us, to never harm any dragon that belong to Berk, to never break the treaty and to stand by our side as friends and not foes?" Hiccup asked, having remembered strictly what his father and told him to say. Savage looked to his left. His men nodded. He turned to Hiccup and nodded himself before he started writing his name.

Once signed with his full name, Savage put the pencil back in the vase and it was received by Hoark who handed it over to Hiccup. Along with the peace treaty.

"Do you, Hiccup Haddock, promise to be our allies at all times, to never pair up against us, to never harm my men, to never break the treaty and to stand by our side as friends and not foes?" Savage asked, looking at him deadly serious, or to Hiccup, business serious (If that was even a word).

Hiccup took the squid ink closer to him, wiped the pencil on its edge to prevent it from dripping, and signed his name beneath Savage's.

The two men stood up, followed by the ones surrounding them and the guards straightening up, and shook hands. The peace treaty between the blood thirsty savages, as Alvin would refer to them as, and the Berkians was finally settled. "Thank you, for forming an alliance with us, Savage," Hiccup thanked the outcast with a warm smile. Savage returned it.

"You're more than welcome after everything in the past," Savage said, both removing their hands from each other.

"The past is in the past now, and for once, it finally looks bright for us both," Stoick placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder proudly. "And I think now, it's finally time for you to get your freedom back," Hiccup frowned.

"Did I really do that bad?" Hiccup asked, his frown deepening. The two men chuckled. "Okay don't answer that," Hiccup said quickly, really not wanting their thoughts on it. He turned to his father who let his shoulder limply down by his side. "Does this mean you'll let me free from being chief?" "No, you still have to fix the ships on our docks, help the children get enough warm clothes and supplies, keep the dragons from breaking stuff-

"Really?" Hiccup groaned, cutting his father off.

"I'm just joking around Hiccup," Stoick said with a laugh. "Yes, you're no longer the chief of Berk," Hiccup grinned widely, looking at Toothless who bounced around happily. He was out of ear shot to hear his father mutter, "For now."


	95. Chapter 95

And as Hiccup had said, he began searching for his mother in every direction that came to mind, but as the days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to months he started searching for another purpose and forgot his old.

His new priority was to help and rescue dragons in need, though, his first priority never left his mind. It just kept itself far behind everything else.

Hiccup had done plenty of things as the nine months passed by and the winter was closing up on Berk. He finally finished his friend's saddles, learned quite a lot from new species that decided to show up some times, he had managed to convince Gobber on upgrading the tools and practically the whole forge, and finally had he finished his flight suit.

And as the months had passed Astrid and Hiccup's relationship grew and so did the village. They became closer and the village got a few upgrades here and there, but not everything was finished just yet. Hiccup's plans and blueprints of inventions, that would help the village, and inventions were finally in official use. Vikings worked from dusk to dawn every day; enthusiastic with the plans from their heir. It only took them a few seconds of overlooking the blueprints (and getting an explanation) and voila! They agreed and waited for their tasks.

The daily plans, of each workable Berkian, held the different tasks they were given in small and big groups; constructing, planning, gathering wood and much needed material and so on. Hiccup on the other hand was given a completely different task. Namely being the chief for this ongoing project, as he would call it himself.

In opinion, he didn't mind at all since he was just as enthusiastic as his workers, but each day spent on working he would be praised by his father a little more than the day before; also brought one step forward to earning the title Chief of the Hooligan Tribe.

By the constant praise he got every evening at home, he had promised Toothless some extra Icelandic cod if he got him out of the rather awkward conversation. And Toothless being, well, Toothless, didn't hesitate to approve on the offer. After all, he is a dragon. And because of the deal he now got away much easier.

As for his friends, they couldn't get away that easily from their work. Not that all of them wanted to either. They were happy to help Hiccup with everything. The girls helped Hiccup (whenever he was there and not by the edge of the world) planning and decorating and cleaning with the other workable women on Berk. As for the boys, they helped with the manly work like constructing and getting the heavy, needed, material closer to town. Of course being manly doesn't mean: don't use your dragons.

Hiccup was having his daily check up on the village, which had become a habit after his long period as acting chief, with his loyal best friend, greeting everyone he passed by with a smile and a small wave.

"On your daily check up again I presume?" Hiccup spun around to find a certain Hofferson smiling at him. Her face was covered with sot from cleaning all day and she carried a large pile of wood on her shoulder.

"Let me help you with that," Hiccup said, gently taking a hold of the planks and pulled her closer to lightly peck her lips. He took the planks out of her grip and into his own.

"Thank you kind sir," Astrid teased with a slightly crooked smile and felt the heavy weight on her shoulder lessen.

Hiccup bumped the wood higher up in his arms and rested them against his left shoulder. They started walking again. "So how is the new saddle for Stormfly?" Hiccup asked, keeping an eye on their surroundings to make sure everything is a problem free progress.

"It's remarkable," Astrid laughed. "I can finally keep my axe on the saddle without personal contact," Hiccup chuckled.

"And I guess that's a good thing?" Astrid nodded.

"Any problems with Toothless's saddle?" Hiccup laughed nervously, knowing she wouldn't be exactly what you would call happy about this.

"Not exactly, though, we would like to show something Toothless and I have been working on."

"It's not another one of your stunts right?"

"I'm not promising anything," Astrid rolled her eyes. "Besides, we haven't exactly tried it out yet."

"Then it better not be dangerous," Astrid said firmly, staring at him seriously.

"Still not promising anything," Hiccup said in a singing tone, walking a little in the lead.

* * *

Not an hour passed before the youths were up in the air testing, for the millionth time, their saddles while waiting for Hiccup to show up. Astrid was looking around frantically in search for her boyfriend, expecting him to make a dramatic entrance, like always, and the others lay back in their saddles, playing with the foot pedals.

"How can he make such awesome saddles but not be on time?" Snotlout complained, kicking the foot pedal for the hundredth time. As if on cue a dragon screeched behind them and something black swooped past them. The signaling Night Fury turned direction towards them in a calm pace, slow enough to catch up to them. His rider opened his helmet.

"First of all, thank you for the compliment and second, I didn't set any time for you to come," Hiccup said with a frown. Snotlout rolled his eyes, sitting up straight and holding onto Hookfang's horns. Tuffnut flew, having dragged Barf and his sister with him, in front of them

"You should totally give us more free from working all day, because I could really need some time to blow things up," He said enthusiastically on what Hiccup expected no one to be. Of course, he is Tuffnut after all.

"Tuffnut, that was a one timer," Hiccup said, deepening - if that was even possible - his frown. "And why would I even consider giving you time to blow things up?!" Tuffnut opened his mouth. "Don't answer that," He closed it again, flying over to his previous spot in their formation.

"So Hiccup, what are you going to show us?" Fishlegs butted in from his left side.

"Nah, just some upgrades, nothing big," Hiccup chuckled as if it was nothing.

"Nothing big? So we came up here for nothing," Snotlout muttered the last sentence.

"If you don't want to see I can just send you back to work," Hiccup grinned. Snotlout shot up at the mention of work, waving his hands in front of him in a gesture that fitted almost perfectly to his sentence.

"No, no, no that's fine-everything's good! Yeah, I'll watch-of course I will, tch-

"Snotlout…," Astrid growled threateningly.

"Okay, I'm just going over there," Snotlout chuckled nervously, steering Hookfang away from Stormfly and Astrid. Astrid grinned.

"Then let's see it," Astrid smiled towards Hiccup.

"Alright bud, you ready?" Toothless's eyes widened as he heard the familiar click of the lever that kept his fake tail fin on automatic and a flick of a helmet. He growled warningly. "Come on, Toothless! It'll be fine," Hiccup encouraged him with a pat on the saddle, removing his safety gear from the saddle.

"Something tells me this will be dangerous," Fishlegs squeaked, covering his eyes.

"Hiccup I don't think you should-

"Come on Astrid, we've done this plenty of times!" Hiccup said, holding him up on the saddle for a little longer. "Well, half of it," he muttered. He turned to Astrid and leaned a little to the side. "See ya," He called, falling side-ways off the saddle.

"Hiccup!" The teens yelled after him. Toothless growled, diving after his rider. "WHOHOOO! YEAH BABY!" Hiccup yelled, closing his eyes for a second and opening them again to be met by a pair of neon green eyes. Toothless flicked his tongue out of his gums with a coo, looking downwards at the skies below. Hiccup looked down and counted silently to five. When his thoughts counted five he saw the ocean coming in close and in a quick move he bent his knees closer to his chest, pushed his arms through two loops and stretched them out.

"YEAH!" Hiccup yelled as both he and Toothless was taken gently by the air beneath their wings. Both thrown gently up a few stages before flying smoothly towards Berk with wide grins.

"Are you insane?!" Astrid's yelled from beside him. Hiccup chuckled, pressing a button on his chest armor before smoothing out his uneven flying. "When did you make this?" She asked, looking at the orange red back fin that popped up on his back.

"I had some free time!" He called back through his helmet that muffled his voice.

"This is amazing!" Fishlegs came in on the opposite side, though, struggling to keep up. "Do you know how much we can learn from this?! We can learn how to fly in on attacks or we could even "Blah, blah, blah," Snotlout rolled his eyes. "You can learn all that after you've made me one too."

"Make that two!" The twins yelled in unison behind them.

"I'm not making any promises-

"HICCUP!" His angry, yet worried, father yelled from outside the forge. Vikings stopped to look up in the air, finding their heir…flying?

"Oh man," Hiccup muttered, putting his arms to his sides and turned around quickly to the others before letting his wings keep him steady once again. "You should get back to work, I'll meet you guys later," He called out before calling for his dragon to come get him. He turned around quickly and grabbed the handle of his saddle, letting him in a lying position. Gently, he removed the loops around his armored forearms and pulled himself into a sitting position right before the two landed in front of a rather unamused Viking.

"What were you thinking doing up there without your dragon?!" Stoick snapped, stopping a foot away with arms crossed over his chest. Gobber wobbled, on his wooden leg, over to the two with the opposite reaction than his father.

"Forget that! How did you even fly without a dragon?" Gobber asked dumbfounded but with a gleeful smile.

"As mentioned, I had some free time," Hiccup chuckled nervously, picking up one of his wings before slowly rolling it back into its place. He turned back to his father who had his fingers rubbing his eyes in irritation. "Relax dad, Toothless got my back! And who knows? It may come in handy too."

"Alright, alright, but don't use it unless it is absolutely necessary," Stoick said firmly, pointing a finger to mark his statement.

"Fine," Hiccup sighed in defeat, rolling down the other wing. Stoick heard whispers behind him and turned around to find most of the Vikings watching them.

"Well what are you all looking at? Get back to work!" Stoick commanded them in which they obeyed almost instantly.

"I'll just be going now," Hiccup muttered, walking away when he felt someone grab a hold of his neck armor.

"Oh no you won't," Stoick said, letting go to be careful not to strangle him. "You still got work young man," Hiccup groaned, turning in the opposite direction of his house - in which he decided to head back to before his father grabbed him – to work.


	96. Chapter 96

"I'm so sleepy," Hiccup complained, throwing himself onto his bed. Toothless growled, slumping down on his own cool bed, not even bothering to heat it up.

Someone knocked on his door.

Hiccup groaned, sitting back up. "Come in," He called, rubbing his eyes. When he removed his fingers from his eyes, Astrid came into vision with a smile, leaning against the door frame.

"Tired?" She asked, walking over to him.

"More like exhausted," He said, slumping back down on his bed. Astrid laughed, walking fully over to him and putting one leg on each side of his waist. She leaned down, only a small gap between them.

"Too exhausted to spend some time with your girlfriend?" She asked, smiling down at him. Neither of them noticed the black reptile leaving the room, to give them some privacy, closing the door behind him.

"Could you be more specific?" Hiccup smirked, gladly accepting her lips onto his when she leaned down to close the little distance.

Astrid smiled, letting Hiccup gently roll her over, with a supportive arm beneath her, so he could be top. Hiccup deepened the kiss, opening his mouth little by little as his hands traced down her slim waist, stroking her beneath her clothing.

She moaned lightly as Hiccup bit her bottom lip, silently asking to enter. Her lips parted even further, letting Hiccup in. Their tongues fought for dominance, Astrid giving little to fight for as her girly instinct kicked in, telling her to lose herself to him. Eventually, Hiccup won and explored every corner of her mouth freely, earning a few moans. His tongue left her mouth, licking her cornered lips as his own traced down her jaw line and onto her neck, nipping at it lightly.

Today, neither of them was going to hold back their love for one another.

* * *

Another boring, uneventful week passed by for Hiccup. The night a week ago lit up his mood and though he got weird looks and questions about it, he kept their little secret hushed. His project was still in progress but soon coming to an end and after yesterday's day of break, where they replaced work with a dragon race, everyone was in a better mood.

It was all just a normal day for Hiccup. He woke up to his everyday mess of a hair, ran a hand through it to smooth it down, and walked lazily over to his desk chair where his armor rested. As any other day, he walked down the stairs, after strapping the endless of many belts from his armor on, and was greeted by the smell of chicken and cabbage.

"Morning dad," Hiccup greeted his father who sat in his special made chair by the table, eating up his plate filled with chicken wings and cabbage. He sat down by the table, greeted by the same plate, only filled.

"Son, we need to talk," Stoick said sternly, lying his fork down on the table and looking seriously at the boy who sat across from him.

"What? Not even a greeting? A good morning? A-

"This is serious Hiccup," Stoick slammed his palm on the table, making his cup of water jump and drop a few inches of its liquid. Hiccup muttered an "okay" and looked at his father both curiously and frightened of what was to come. His mind was staying on one thought. A thought that could be the reason of his father's serious, mood. The thought about his and Astrid's night a week back.

He was positive they both stayed quiet and at least finished up before his father was even home. After telling Astrid, and getting the same reply, to be quiet, he couldn't possibly think they'd heard them.

And to top it all, it wasn't in the middle of the day. It was after supper. After everyone had done their last finish up for that day before heading exhausted to the Great Hall to get their food and then back to their homes for a good night's rest.

"You're the pride of Berk son, and I couldn't be prouder," Hiccup was taken aback by the sudden change of his father's mood. Stoick's stiff body language turned abruptly to the proud father Stoick really is.

"Thanks…I guess?" Hiccup replied awkwardly, but his father didn't even seem to catch his low tuned voice as he continued on.

"You're all grown up, and since no chief could ask for a better successor, I've decided to make you chief," Hiccup choked on the little chicken he filled his mouth with and looked up at his father with a wide open mouth. He was happy that his father obviously hadn't heard them or even found out about the even a week ago, but this was a total shock to him. NO matter how many times he heard the lines, "son, you have to be chief soon" or "it's time for you to act like the chief you soon will have to be," he couldn't get the six big, in Hiccup's opinion, out of his head that easily.

I've decided to make you chief.

Hiccup's mind subconsciously repeated the six big words. He looked up at his father who stood up with his empty plate and walked over to one of their buckets filled with boiled water. Hiccup looked up the stairs to find his sitting in the doorway, looking down at him curiously. He took a quick glance over to his father who stretched his back with a loud sigh.

Panicked, Hiccup ran up his stairs and jumped onto the window frame where he motioned for Toothless to follow him. He jumped out, with his dragon following from behind. Mounting Toothless, the two were airborne and just in earshot to hear his name get called angrily.

"HICCUP!" His name was yelled from the Haddock house hold: yelled by the owner of it and also the chief of the whole island that echoed the call. But Hiccup was too distracted in his own thoughts to turn around. Instead, the two set for the forest alone.

The duo landed a good distance into the woods before deciding to take a walk in the fresh morning air to clean their minds; or more precisely, clean Hiccup's. His mind set to the same thing from every thought he tried to use as an escape from the old.

"I can't be chief!" Hiccup yelled. His hands flying up in the air angrily. "Why me? Why me of all the people on Berk?" Toothless cooed worriedly beside him. "I mean, I get why he didn't choose Snotlout 'cause only Thor knows what would happen then, but me? I'm worse than him!" Hiccup sighed and sat down against a tree, his hands rubbing his face to calm down his nerves.

"Everything I've done the first fifteen years of my life has been a disaster, and I've been away from Berk three years straight! One could even claim me as a new member of the Hooligan tribe. Who would even want me as their chief?" Toothless nudged his rider, cooing at him. He looked up worried. "Sorry, Toothless," Toothless warbled. "Yeah, let's keep walking."

Hiccup stood up, unsteady on his legs at first from blowing of steam to the wind, but Toothless caught his weigh on his head and held him steady for the first few steps they walked deeper into the woods.

Toothless looked up every so often at his best friend who seemed to be deep in thoughts now that he didn't say everything out loud. He wanted to tell him he could yell, even scream out everything in the open, but a dragon who didn't speak the same language could only do as much as watch. His neon green eyes kept a good eye on their surrounding seeing that his rider was too distracted to even keep an eye on his footing.

By the stones and small spots of green with trees here and there, Toothless knew they were close to the mountain they always flew around each morning (except for today that is). Though, closer to the village the trees were lighter and full of bright colors. Here it was the exact opposite. The trees held a dead color to the trees, making the distance forward darker and the distance backwards lighter. Toothless cooed, letting his ears fall down. He nudged his rider, but Hiccup didn't respond. They kept walking. Toothless nudged him again and again but not before the light was gone did Hiccup snap out of his thoughts. Toothless nudged him again and growled.

"Where are we?" Hiccup whispered, looking around. "We should head back," Toothless growled in agreement, both on the edge of running to familiar grounds. Suddenly, something snapped. The two stopped abruptly, looking at each other. They listen. Another twig snapped, sounding closer. "Who's there?" Hiccup called out, placing his hand on the hem of his inferno. The only respond he got was a growl. Toothless's ears perked up and he snarled towards a black shape a far distance from them. "Do you see something?" Hiccup looked in the direction Toothless's eyes were directed against, and almost instantly he backed away. The black figure began moving out of its hiding spot, almost as if it wasn't afraid of revealing itself. Then it growled. "Wolves," Hiccup's eyes widened and immediately he brought out his inferno with Toothless standing protectively around him. The wolf growled and suddenly lunged at Hiccup, but Toothless was too fast.

Toothless wacked the wolf with his tail and hissed at it. The wolf whined and backed away, running behind the bushes again. Hiccup sighed, standing up. "What are wolves doing on Berk?" But just as he finished that sentence, more growls were heard in every directions, and slowly but surely wolves surrounded them. "Ready, bud?" Toothless growled as a yes and snarled at their enemies.

Hiccup held his inferno in front of him with slightly bent knees. All at once, the wolves lunged. Hiccup and Toothless fought side by side; wolves jumping and clawing at them from every direction. They wacked them, burned them and sliced them, but even then the wolves didn't give up. A wolf pinned Hiccup down, making him lose his inferno.

The wolf growled ferociously. Hiccup held the wolf out in an arm's reach as it clawed and growled. It clawed the side of his left cheek, making him yelp slightly but hold on even tighter. Almost as if he was holding onto his own life. Suddenly, the wolf was wacked off him. Hiccup panted heavily, looking up. He looked to his side and his eyes went wide.

A mysterious person in brown and blue armor fought the wolves off with a staff. In Hiccup's eyes, the foreign man, he assumed it is, was a professional in combat. The man was pinned down by a wolf but threw him off with his shield as if it was nothing. Slowly, the wolves retreated. Hiccup stood up on shaky legs, reaching out for his unlit sword and backed away towards Toothless.

The man turned to face him with a blue mask, two horns on its chin and spikes like a deadly nadder on the top of the helmet. They held eye contact, though he wore a mask, but that soon ended as wings flapped above them. Hiccup broke his gaze towards the sky, finding a four winged dragon swooping down above him. His eyes followed the dragon as it grabbed the man and carried him off to the skies. He pulled his inferno back in its place and jumped on Toothless.

"Follow them bud!" He yelled, and the two set up to the skies. Toothless flew at high speed after the dragon that headed towards the village. Neither he nor Hiccup knew if he was a threat. Either way, they had to stop them.

Hiccup caught sight of the man and noticed he was standing on the dragon. "It's his rider!" Hiccup yelled surprised through his helmet. "Alright, get us a little closer bud," Toothless screeched, picking up his speed.


	97. Chapter 97

From below, the four of them were flying past the village, but not unnoticed. Toothless's screech had caught many of the Berkian's attention and their eyes were now to the sky. Astrid and her friends stood in the academy with their dragons, looking up in the sky. "Is that Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"Looks like it," Fishlegs said. "But who is he with?"

"Probably his new girlfriend," Snotlout chuckled, patting Hookfang's head. Astrid ignored them and mounted Stormfly. Her hand blocked the sun as she looked up at the sky. They were moving fast.

"Come on, let's find out," She said, and before the other could protest she was out of the academy and flying in top speed towards her boyfriend. Though they were too fast for Stormfly to take, they manage to keep a good enough distance to see them.

"ASTRID!" A voice yelled from behind her. She slowed down a little and looked back. Stoick was riding his dragon side by side with Gobber, struggling to catch up with both her and Hiccup. She slowed down even more but once they caught up, her speed did too. "What's going on?" Stoick asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Astrid replied honestly. "It looks like Hiccup is chasing someone."

"Then we better make sure nothing happens," Gobber said, swooping in beside them. Stoick and Astrid nodded, kicking their dragon side to make them go faster. The three of them kept their eyes on Hiccup, but all of a sudden, Hiccup and the rider stopped.

"What the…?" Stoick muttered, slowing Skullcrusher down. The others did the same. They watched the scene in front of them. Even from afar, the three could see a man with blue and brown armor, standing on top of a four winged dragon. "Gobber, that's a Stormcutter," Stoick yelled.

"Do you think that's…," His voice trailed off when they heard a scream and a night fury screeching.

Stoick looked away from Gobber and shifted his gaze to the front. His eyes got full of fear.

The dragon snatched Hiccup by his shoulder, tearing him away from Toothless's saddle. Toothless growled as he spun uncontrollably towards the ice covered ocean below. He screeched after his rider, tried to use his wings, but the dragon and its rider was flying farther away; carrying Hiccup with them.

"DAD!" Hiccup screamed from afar. He trashed, tried to kick his way free, tried to reach for his sword, but nothing made any progress in escaping. His right hand reached out for the small dagger sealed in his left forearm armor. He pulled it out and brought it up to the dragon's leg.

Hiccup's mind gave him seconds thoughts by only touching the dagger. Never once had he, or did he wish to ever hurt a dragon. But in a situation as this, his mind couldn't set for any other options. He closed his eyes, a flash back coming back to him five years back when he stood above Toothless; The mighty Night fury, lying on the ground trapped in a bola. He remembered holding the dagger above his head and the guilt rising up inside him.

"Forgive me," Hiccup said, keeping his eyes closed as his arm sliced the dragon's leg. It roared in pain, flying wobblingly, but never letting go of Hiccup. Hiccup clung to its leg, watching his dagger escape his grip and fall towards the surface of ice beneath them. He looked up, trying to get a good view of his kidnapper.

"Let go of me! I have to get my dragon," Hiccup yelled, kicking and trashing in its grip, but it held almost painfully tight to his shoulders. "He'll drown if you don't let me go!" But the rider wouldn't have any of it. He kept steering his dragon in the same direction, through mountains of ice and past sea stacks. The turns were sharp and Hiccup was starting to feel sick riding backwards. He reached out for his inferno in attempt to get it, but he just couldn't reach. The dragon only turned harder as if to shake it off.

"Son!" Stoick shouted from a distance. He was starting to catch up with them. Stoick noticed his son struggling to get loose, but if he even did, though he had his flight suit, there was nothing but ice and freezing cold water beneath him. Even if Hiccup is strong, no one could survive the temperature of the ocean below, neither the in pact on ice. From afar he could know if it was thick or thin ice. Either way it would hurt like Hel.

"Stay calm!" Stoick shouted, kicking Skullcrusher's side to go faster. He ignored the dragon's struggling.

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one dragged around like a lifeless puppet!" Hiccup yelled back, crossing his arms. Stoick sighed.

"Just don't fall!" Stoick yelled, pointing below. Hiccup looked below himself and screamed, clinging harder to the dragon. The thought of even losing hold of the dragon's leg was terrifying for both Hiccup, who could experience that any second, and Stoick, who could witness everything with his very own eyes.

"Got'cha," Hiccup mumbled, hanging on for dear life as more sharp turns came. But then everything stopped. Hiccup couldn't stop his curiosity from turning his body as far as it could to the front. He gasped. A huge mountain was covered, almost as if protected, with thick layer of ice. One would have called it nature's work of art if the situation was different than now. The way the ice was spiky in one direction, covering everything up. One could only imagine the thickness of the ice from afar. Hiccup was taken away by the view that he didn't notice dragons other than his father and friends chase after them.

The Stormcutter holding Hiccup took for a dive, creating butterflies in Hiccup's stomach. The light from outside was blocked out by the cave walls coming into view, swallowing them deeper into the mountain. A clearing in the dark was the only thing he could see and suddenly he was dropped down. Hiccup caught himself with his feet, rolling forward before catching himself with his hands and stood up. Growls rang in his ears from every direction. As instinct, from the couple of months with new adventures including his new sword, he pulled out inferno and lit it, waving around to find curious eyes surrounding him.

A dragon walked forward and in return Hiccup backed away. He heard a clank to his side and dragon wings above him. "Dad," Hiccup said in relief, watching him land in the clearing with Skullcrusher. Stoick jumped off the dragon's back and took to run towards his son, gripping him by his shoulders and staring into his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Stoick asked. The other riders landed in the clearing, standing by their dragons who growled protectively on their surrounding members.

"I'm fine-wait, where's Toothless?!" Hiccup yelled, looking around and waving his sword in the darkness. He heard a purr from behind him and turned around only to be knocked over with slobbery kisses. "Oh boy am I glad to see you bud, you had me worried there," Toothless purred, licking Hiccup one last time before helping him stand up. In the shadows, the mysterious rider was watching them, deciding whether or not they were friends or foes. His armor made him blend into the dark. He shook his staff, a mix of dragon sounds coming out of it. Dragons behind him fired up their mouths but didn't let it out. The rider walked closer to them, having full attention on him.

"Stoick?" The rider asked unsure as if to reveal its identity or not.

Stoick's lips parted but no words came out. The voice was indeed familiar to Stoick's memory of voices, but he couldn't set his tongue on who it was or even who it could be. Maybe it was an enemy and they had been lured into the enemies nest. Or maybe…no, it couldn't be…


	98. Chapter 98

The air was silent – except for the dragons growling in the background. Hiccup looked back and forth at his father and the rider. Do they know each other? Hiccup asked himself noiselessly. Once again he looked back at his father and then the rider. But the foreign man in armor was running towards an opening in the wall and dragons started flying away from them.

Without second thoughts, Hiccup set to a run towards the gap; his father, friends and their dragons following behind without objections of the silent decision. Hiccup was in the lead, but struggled to keep up with the armored man or woman – he couldn't really decide what gender on the only word the rider had said through his helmet. He jumped over stones and crawled up long cylinder shaped rocks to a higher ground. He rounded a corner that the rider had taken, but the man was gone.

All in Hiccup's sight were a bright light by the end of the tunnel he was in, making a deep contrast to his surroundings of bright and dark. His pace slowed down and he found himself walking slowly into the light. He was blinded. Blinded of amazement. Hiccup gasped in awe. His eyes couldn't focus on one object, or dragon in this case, seeing all the different species he had encountered this far – and some he hadn't seen before - fly around in circles and playing around on a land of green nature.

"How did we ever miss this?" Astrid asked, coming up behind him. Hiccup didn't answer. He was too caught up in the newly discovered nest. Toothless came up on his right side and nudged his hand. Hiccup scratched his head unconsciously until he growled.

"What is it, bud?" Hiccup asked, tearing his eyes off the mesmerizing view and to his dragon who looked up. He followed Toothless's gaze and his eyes met a woman staring down at her from the four winged dragon that led them here.

"Val," Stoick whispered, taking his helmet in his hands. The woman tore her eye away from the boy and what she presumed is his night fury. She looked at him and her eyes softened. She nodded quickly. Her body uncovered from the Stormcutters wing and gently as if she was a feather she landed on the ground and stood there. Hiccup looked at his father.

"Dad? Who is this?" He asked, backing away as she started walking towards him. The woman stopped and looked at Stoick. His father walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Son," He said. "This is your mother, Valka," Hiccup gasped. He stood there paralyzed as the woman - his mother – walked over to him cautiously and unsure. He stared at her with wide eyes and didn't move to wrap his arms around her as she slowly did with him. His mother…is alive. She's been alive all those twenty years.

Hiccup didn't know what to think. Part of him was angry and another part of him was happy. He was happy that his mother was alive after having believed she went to Valhalla in that raid twenty years ago. He had so many questions to ask her, but that was also the part he was angry for. The questions swarming his mind were like an ocean with river. The rivers were made because of the ocean; or in this case, the other thoughts were a following of the first. Why didn't she come back?

All his life had he believed they would be reunited in Valhalla once the time had come, but instead a miracle happened and they were reunited on Midgard. He looked at his father who stood behind his mother with a gleeful smile. Thinking back, Hiccup couldn't remember when he had last seen that smile come from his father. Was it after he had defeated the Red Death and come home from Outcast Island? The moment he forgave him? Or was it after he defeated Alvin and made peace with the Outcasts, freeing Berk from their clutches? Neither.

That was what Hiccup's mind could come to an answer of. Never had his father smiled so brightly and warmly at the same time, and Hiccup couldn't help it anymore but smile back and wrap his hands around the slim waist of his mother. He buried his head in her neck, taking in the aroma of her. It was mixed with dragons and what he could only presume to be the flowers growing inside the nest.

"You were here this whole time," Hiccup whispered more as a statement than a question. He felt her thin fingers tangle in his hair and stroked it lovingly. Finally for once did Hiccup feel the love of a mother, and he never wanted it to end.

Hiccup remembered back to only a couple of hours ago where he encountered a pack of wolves in the woods of Berk. His mother had saved him twice by only helping and smashing away the one pinning him down. Still, he couldn't believe that armored person was his mother. Not after the discovery. Though, at least now he could have a chance to thank his savior. He pulled away to get a look at her. "Thank you for saving me back there," Hiccup laughed. "I still can't believe you're alive though!" He turned to his father with a smile. "I guess grandpa was right after all."

Valka looked at Hiccup confused for a second before shifting her gaze to Stoick. "Is my father still alive?" She asked surprised and yet happy. Hiccup looked at his father. He remembered his grandfather was still alive back then when she was still a citizen on Berk.

Stoick lowered his head. "I'm sorry Valka…he passed away not too long after you were taken." Just like that, Valka's smile dropped and she sighed, looking down at her feet, but her head popped back up just as quick.

"But what was he right about then?" Hiccup's gaze shifted to his foot in which he fiddled a bit back and forth with his prosthetic. Stoick sighed beside him.

"A lot of things have happened these last five years," Stoick looked at Hiccup and noticed how uncomfortable he felt about the subject. His lips created a gap between them to change the awkward atmosphere, but Hiccup spoke up before a single letter came out.

"Yeah," Hiccup sighed. "Especially after the Red Death and the Outcasts," His hand reached up to the back of his neck and began its bad habit of scratching it when nervous. He smiled, trying to seem alright, but deep inside he really was anything but. "Man that was a big mess."

"I don't understand," Valka said. She looked at her family curious. "What's a Red Death?"

Astrid walked over to Hiccup and took his hand in both of hers. She felt his tense body relax. "It was the reason for the raids on Berk," Valka looked at the blonde girl interested. "Nearby, an island we named Dragon Island was inhabited with full of Dragons, but…," She looked at Hiccup.

"But the dragons were being controlled by a queen, the Red Death," Hiccup sighed. "I defeated him with Toothless here…though there were some consequences for winning the fight to the Vikings," Hiccup let his gaze wander down to his prosthetic and Valka followed. Her eyes went wide, but no words came out. Toothless coed and nudged Hiccup's free hand. Hiccup stayed silent.

"After the explosion that engulfed the queen to its death, taking Hiccup and Toothless here with it, they were believed to be dead," Hiccup looked away from his best friend's comforting green eyes and up at his father as he continued speaking. They thought we were…dead? Hiccup asked himself silently. "But somehow Alvin the Treacherous found them barely alive on shore and took them both to his island. We don't even know why-

"I do," Hiccup said. He looked at his mother. "He wanted me to train dragons and tell him Berk's secrets," Hiccup's hand rubbed beneath his armored arm where scars from back then covered his skin. Valka seemed to notice but didn't question. She knew who they were talking about, and the thought of her son captured on that mad man's island sent flashes and pictures in her mind. She wanted to shake them off.

"But I refused so he…he tried to force it out of me," Hiccup's voice cracked and sounded weaker than before. His friends bowed their heads. Pictures flashed through their minds as well, only difference was that it had happened and wasn't a mind-created picture out of information. Hiccup forced a smile. "But Dad and everyone here got us back, though they couldn't save my leg," Valka looked down at his leg sadly. She hadn't been there and he was only just…what, fifteen?

When she lived back on Berk she had assisted healers and even Gothi herself when they were in need for help on such serious and life-threatening wounds. And now, discovering her son had suffered through that as well in his mid-teens, she couldn't help but feel disappointed in herself; for not being there for her son, but instead assisting and calming fellow Berkians back then. She wanted to take back her decision of never leaving the nest, but of course that was impossible. Her eyes stayed on his metal leg for a few more seconds, but in the corner of her eyes she caught sight of a mechanism attached to a dragon tail.

Curiously, she walked over to it; her eyed following the tail up to the dragon, Hiccup's dragon. She bent down and held it up with her hands to examine it. "Did Alvin do this too?" She found herself asking him; a bit of anger showing in her voice. From experience, well not precisely feeling it herself, she had witnessed and healed many amputee wounds on dragons she and her fellow reptiles rescued from one man; her and the dragon's greatest enemy, Drago Bludvist. Her thoughts shattered like a broken mirror when Hiccup spoke up again. Her focus was back to him.

"Heeh, not really." Hiccup laughed nervously. "Crazy thing is that I'm actually the one who…shot him down," Hiccup said awkwardly. "But it's okay though!" Valka looked at him unsure. "He got me back, right bud?" Hiccup placed both his hands on either side of Toothless's head, shaking it up and down. Toothless moaned. "You couldn't save all of me could you? You just had to make it even," He laughed, lifting his prosthetic. "So peg leg!"

"Nice save Hiccup," Tuffnut snickered. Hiccup rolled his eyes, sending him a glare before looking back at Toothless who nudged his hand. He yelped as Toothless lifted him up on his back. Happily, Hiccup scratched Toothless's chin quickly and getting moans from the reptile.

Valka laughed along with the others. Only by the short time they had known and talked with each other, she could see that his son and his dragon had a special bond with one another. Her mind set to one thing as she watched them. She looked at Stoick and the people watching her son and his Night Fury, but noticed there were dragons behind them. Dragons that she had never seen in her nest. On the backs of those dragons were saddles.

"Berk is at peace with the dragons?" The air of laughter and dragon moans silenced and all eyes were on her. She looked at their dragons surprised and even more astonished at her husband.

"Yeah," Hiccup smiled. "After returning from Valhalla, Berk is already at peace. It's amazing how a three hundred year war could end so quickly-

Valka cut him off. She looked at him as if he had gone crazy. "Returning from Valhalla?" Hiccup breathed out through connected teeth with slightly wide eyes.

"Oh…I forgot that part," He chuckled nervously and once again scratched the back of his neck. "Let's just say I didn't exactly survive on Outcast Island…That's where grandpa comes in too. Before he somehow miraculously got me back to Midgard he told me you weren't there," Valka nodded, taking her time to take in the information. "So… that's where I began looking for you."

Valka looked at him shocked. Her son had known for the last five years she was alive. But had Stoick known too? She decided to leave that question behind for later when she would converse with her son and try to catch up on everything that had happened the last twenty years; maybe even sharing some of her own adventures.

The topic of their conversation had been kind of depressing towards Valka when she learned what they had gone through. Her mind kept yelling at her that only if she had come back, she could have convinced them like Hiccup had. And that way they could-…no. The situation couldn't have changed much more. Alvin would still seek revenge on Stoick from their past and Hiccup or herself could have been easily dragged into the center of it.

"What happened to Alvin?" She asked.

"He was defeated by Hiccup after three years of Berk in his hands," Stoick said. He decided to leave the spiritual fight out of it and tell the tale another time. "But that's not important. What's important is that everything is back to normal and we can finally live as a complete family," Stoick smiled warmly, taking her hand in his and looking at Hiccup who slid down from Toothless's back.

Valka nodded with a smile she was sure she hadn't had before. "Come on, we can continue catching up while we eat," Valka said and pulled Stoick towards the opening they came from. She motioned for her dragon to follow before letting go of Stoick's hand and leading them all to the nest's food supply. They entered the tunnel and Valka led them to the opposite corner they came from. She took a small glance back and her eyes met her son's. They smiled warmly and lovingly at each other before she turned back to the path. Her family was finally whole and at peace with what she offered her own lifespan to protect. The dragons of the world they lived in.


	99. Chapter 99

Valka stopped walking as she entered a cave. She stepped aside to give room for her followers and her smile even widened at the gasps behind her.

Hiccup was stunned. The cave was lit up with a small opening on his right where he could see the sky clear from clouds. The center of the cave was occupied by a large blue icicle that led fresh and clean water to a pool surrounding its lower part. Everything was like a dream for him. One of the many dreams he hadn't had since he was smaller. A dream where he lived in the wild alone on safe grounds in a cave hid safely above normal grounds.

He looked to his left and found different shaped and different sized stones with wooden plates and sticks on. Baskets of fish were stocked beside the rocks. Alongside his friends, they made themselves at home by the welcoming gesture of his mother's hands. He sat down beside Astrid on a block of cobblestone. Toothless followed and laid down on his right side with Hiccup's hand scratching his head mindlessly. His eyes were set on his parents while his lips carried a smile that reflected from his parents. He watched them laugh and talk as if the twenty years apart was nothing more than a few minutes. Unexpectedly, Astrid laid her head on his shoulder; also looking at his parents with a smaller smile than him. Hiccup moved to wrap his left arm around her waist and rest his head on top of hers. The two sighed happily together.

"How are you feeling?" Hiccup asked, looking down at her.

"I should be the one asking you that," She replied. "How do you feel about all this?"

"I don't know…," Hiccup sighed. "It's still a lot to take in. I mean, it's not every day you find out your mother is alive and living with dragons." Astrid chuckled.

"True," She said, closing her eyed.

"You didn't answer my question," Astrid looked at him confused, giving him a small hum to show her confusion. Hiccup moved his hand up to his forehead. "Are you feeling better? Have your nausea calmed down?" Astrid's lips formed an 'o' as a sign of remembering.

"A little," She replied.

"I still think I should take you to Gothi or Kenna," Hiccup said. His hand dropped back down to her hip and rested there.

"Actually," Astrid said, sitting up to fully look at him. "I went there this morning," She said.

"Without me? I'm a little disappointed milady," Hiccup pouted, but chuckled. "What did they say?"

"I'll tell you later," Astrid said, snuggling into his chest. She felt Hiccup's arm wrapped around her again and rubbing her shoulder. She smiled into his chest and looked at Hiccup's parents. "Let's just enjoy this moment while it lasts," Hiccup nodded. His hand reached down to the little metal object in his pocket. He smiled and kissed her forehead, his hand sliding out of his pocket and rested down on the ground beside him.

Everything around Hiccup made him feel a part of a family. The twins and Snotlout who fought over the last salmon once dinner was served by the grown-ups. Fishlegs who took out his own notebook and started noting every new fact he had learned about the new dragons. Hiccup and Astrid cuddling next to the bonfire in the center of their ring, Gobber sleeping against Grump, and then there were his parents. His parents were mirroring him and Astrid in their own way, talking and laughing, catching up with the lost time. Everything created a warm and loving feeling Hiccup was sure he had never felt before. And if anything, he wanted to protect it with his life.

Hiccup and Astrid's time of watching the two older couple ended shortly after the food was eaten up by a certain someone. Valka took Stoick's hands in hers and whispered something Stoick nodded to. She stood up and walked towards Hiccup. Hiccup and Astrid straightened up.

Without even having a word say anything, Astrid kissed Hiccup's cheek and stood up to sit down with Fishlegs to let them talk together.

Valka sat down beside Hiccup. "Hey," Hiccup greeted her with a smile. Valka smiled, greeting him back. "You and dad get along pretty well," Hiccup chuckled. "I've never seen him smile like this…its new," he said looking over at his father who conversed on with Gobber who finally decided to wake up.

"Wasn't it like this around you and him?" Valka asked concerned, taking a quick glance at Stoick before returning her full gaze on her son.

"Not really," he said with a heavy sight. His gaze fell on his hands.

"Why not?"

"Let's just say our family bond was broken when you were taken away. He didn't take it very well and got regularly angry at the one to blame."

"The one to blame? You mean the dragons?" She asked puzzled. Hiccup shook his head and looked up at her.

"That and…me," Once again his eyes left his mother and went down to his scarred hands. He rubbed his wrists, remembering the familiar feeling of tight shackles keeping him attached to the prison wall back on Berk.

"You?" Valka asked even more worried. She could see where this was going, but before she dared to speak up about it she needed to hear it. She couldn't just jump to conclusions. Her eyes noticed Hiccup's hand movements.

"Yeah," Hiccup sighed. "I didn't know why he was angry at me for so long, or why anyone was, but Gobber told me what happened," he paused. "You were taken away from Berk because of me-

"Don't," Valka said sharply. She took his hands in hers, feeling his scars by the contact. "Don't blame yourself for my decision. I made the choice of saving you and never returning to Berk even if I could have-

"But that's just it," Hiccup said, cutting her off. "Maybe...," his voice went low as a whisper barely audible with the other voices filling the cave. "Maybe if I wasn't born," his voice cracked. "You and dad would have been happy like you are now."

Hiccup looked away from his mother ashamed, but he felt two fingers turn his head back to her. "Don't ever think that way," his mother said. "If anyone is to blame, it's us, not you. We did this to you; we did this to your life. Not you."

Hiccup sighed, but nodded in defeat. Though, it didn't change his mind of the subject. He felt her hands back in his and he was pulled to his foot – and prosthetic. "Come on," he looked at his mother. "There's someone I want you to meet," Before Hiccup knew it the two were on their way to the gap they arrived through earlier that day.

Time seemed to pass quicker each time they walked the small distance to the center of her nest. Once again, Hiccup was speechless of the place. The dragons flying around, living in peace from the evil people of this world. He was happy that they had someone who protected them; someone who lived out his dream. His dream about stopping the war between Vikings and Dragons; not only on the islands near Berkian territory, but everywhere on dragon back he could reach.

"After hearing about this… Red Death," his mother started. Hiccup's gaze shifted to her while they walked closer to the end of a cliff. "I thought maybe you'd like to see one of the good Alphas, or as I call him, the King of all dragons." Valka looked down below her and Hiccup followed her gaze. His jaw dropped to his feet. Lying below the cliff was a gigantic dragon. If Hiccup ever encountered a dragon like it outside in the snow covered land he wouldn't be sure if he'd even been able to spot it. Stealth like it gave the dragon an advantage even as the Alpha himself.

"He's one of the few left of his specie, the bewilderbeasts."

"I'm sure Fishlegs would faint by the sight of him," Hiccup gasped, but remembered his mother didn't know who he was talking about. "He's the one who, uhm, sat with his notebook back there," Valka nodded, but the face of the young blond girl with him earlier flashed in her mind.

"That girl back there," Valka began. "Is she your girlfriend?" Hiccup laughed nervously, pulling something out of his pocket.

"Yeah, but hopefully soon my fiancé." Hiccup opened his palm. In his hand laid a golden ring that shined by the light from above them. Attached to it was a blue orb. "Do you think she'll like it? It took me ages to find the right jewel with the same color as her eyes-

His mother cut him speechless as she wrapped her arms around her and embraced him tightly. "She'll love it," She whispered into his neck. Hiccup smiled. "I'm so proud of you son," Valka's eyes widened. She pulled back and stared at Hiccup. After staying away for twenty years, she didn't feel the pride in calling someone her child because of her decisions. "M-may I…," She tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. "Call you that?" Hiccup's surprised face relaxed into a smile. He pulled her in for a hug.

"Only if I can call you mom," Hiccup whispered. He felt his mother's arms tighten around him and her nod against his neck. Hiccup smiled, taking in her calming aroma once again. "I'm glad you're alive, mom."

"It's good to be, son," Valka whispered. They pulled away and looked down at the bewilderbeast one more time before making their way to the gap in the wall. "Once you're married, make sure to give me grandchildren," Valka whispered.

"Not you too!" Hiccup groaned, rubbing his eyes as he heard the laughter of his mother. He smiled, letting his hands cover his eyes before he removed them. He followed his mother through the tunnels, since he still wasn't used to it. They rounded a corner and Valka stopped.

Someone was whistling.

"Mom?" Hiccup asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

 _I'll swim and sail on savage seas…_

Silence.

 _With ne'er a fear of drowning…_

"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.

 _And gladly ride the waves of life…_

Valka lowered her head.

 _If you will marry me…_

She placed her hand on her chest and closed her eyes.

 _No scorching sun…_

A tear shed from her eye and she quietly started singing it inside her head.

 _Nor freezing cold…_

 _Will stop me on my journey…_

 _If you will promise me your heart…_

 _And love…_

Valka found herself walking out of the tunnel and into the room filled with the Vikings. Everyone was settled down around the fire, listening to Stoick. She opened her mouth and continued where Stoick left off.

 _And love me for eternity…_

Her eyes met Stoick's.

 _My dearest one…_

Stoick stood up and looked at her with wide eyes.

 _My darling dear…_

Hiccup sat down beside Astrid to give room for them. Astrid took his hands in his and they both smiled at each other while watching his father and mother perform.

 _Your mighty words astound me…_

 _But I've no need for mighty deeds…_

She reached out her arm and held in front of me.

 _When I feel your arms around me…_

Stoick hooked his own arm around hers and escaped from his trance. A smile stretched across his lips as their feet moved to their voices. Eyes locked with one another.

Hiccup tapped his one good leg and palm on his knee to the rhythm of the song. He remembered this song from somewhere, but he couldn't set his tongue on it as the song carried on to the very end. He watched his father bend down on one knee and hold his mother's hands in his as if proposing to her anew.

"Will you come home Val?" Stoick's eyes welled with tears. "Will you be my wife once again?" Valka bites her lip, looking away. Stoick stood up and still held her soft hands. "We can be a family," She smiled sweetly, tears filling her eyes as well. Always in her life had she looked forward to the day she would grow up, get married and have a family, and her plans had all so sudden taken change. But now she had another chance on her dream.

Her eyes met Stoick's teary ones. She smiled and weakly whispered, "Yes."

Hiccup rose from his seat, shedding a tear himself. He looked at Astrid who captured his hand in hers and intertwined their fingers, standing up herself. They leaned in closer and pressed their lips together while smiling. Tears braiding together.

All of a sudden, a loud crack was heard and everything went black.


	100. Chapter 100

Valka stopped walking as she entered a cave. She stepped aside to give room for her followers and her smile even widened at the gasps behind her.

Hiccup was stunned. The cave was lit up with a small opening on his right where he could see the sky clear from clouds. The center of the cave was occupied by a large blue icicle that led fresh and clean water to a pool surrounding its lower part. Everything was like a dream for him. One of the many dreams he hadn't had since he was smaller. A dream where he lived in the wild alone on safe grounds in a cave hid safely above normal grounds.

He looked to his left and found different shaped and different sized stones with wooden plates and sticks on. Baskets of fish were stocked beside the rocks. Alongside his friends, they made themselves at home by the welcoming gesture of his mother's hands. He sat down beside Astrid on a block of cobblestone. Toothless followed and laid down on his right side with Hiccup's hand scratching his head mindlessly. His eyes were set on his parents while his lips carried a smile that reflected from his parents. He watched them laugh and talk as if the twenty years apart was nothing more than a few minutes. Unexpectedly, Astrid laid her head on his shoulder; also looking at his parents with a smaller smile than him. Hiccup moved to wrap his left arm around her waist and rest his head on top of hers. The two sighed happily together.

"How are you feeling?" Hiccup asked, looking down at her.

"I should be the one asking you that," She replied. "How do you feel about all this?"

"I don't know…," Hiccup sighed. "It's still a lot to take in. I mean, it's not every day you find out your mother is alive and living with dragons." Astrid chuckled.

"True," She said, closing her eyed.

"You didn't answer my question," Astrid looked at him confused, giving him a small hum to show her confusion. Hiccup moved his hand up to his forehead. "Are you feeling better? Have your nausea calmed down?" Astrid's lips formed an 'o' as a sign of remembering.

"A little," She replied.

"I still think I should take you to Gothi or Kenna," Hiccup said. His hand dropped back down to her hip and rested there.

"Actually," Astrid said, sitting up to fully look at him. "I went there this morning," She said.

"Without me? I'm a little disappointed milady," Hiccup pouted, but chuckled. "What did they say?"

"I'll tell you later," Astrid said, snuggling into his chest. She felt Hiccup's arm wrapped around her again and rubbing her shoulder. She smiled into his chest and looked at Hiccup's parents. "Let's just enjoy this moment while it lasts," Hiccup nodded. His hand reached down to the little metal object in his pocket. He smiled and kissed her forehead, his hand sliding out of his pocket and rested down on the ground beside him.

Everything around Hiccup made him feel a part of a family. The twins and Snotlout who fought over the last salmon once dinner was served by the grown-ups. Fishlegs who took out his own notebook and started noting every new fact he had learned about the new dragons. Hiccup and Astrid cuddling next to the bonfire in the center of their ring, Gobber sleeping against Grump, and then there were his parents. His parents were mirroring him and Astrid in their own way, talking and laughing, catching up with the lost time. Everything created a warm and loving feeling Hiccup was sure he had never felt before. And if anything, he wanted to protect it with his life.

Hiccup and Astrid's time of watching the two older couple ended shortly after the food was eaten up by a certain someone. Valka took Stoick's hands in hers and whispered something Stoick nodded to. She stood up and walked towards Hiccup. Hiccup and Astrid straightened up.

Without even having a word say anything, Astrid kissed Hiccup's cheek and stood up to sit down with Fishlegs to let them talk together.

Valka sat down beside Hiccup. "Hey," Hiccup greeted her with a smile. Valka smiled, greeting him back. "You and dad get along pretty well," Hiccup chuckled. "I've never seen him smile like this…its new," he said looking over at his father who conversed on with Gobber who finally decided to wake up.

"Wasn't it like this around you and him?" Valka asked concerned, taking a quick glance at Stoick before returning her full gaze on her son.

"Not really," he said with a heavy sight. His gaze fell on his hands.

"Why not?"

"Let's just say our family bond was broken when you were taken away. He didn't take it very well and got regularly angry at the one to blame."

"The one to blame? You mean the dragons?" She asked puzzled. Hiccup shook his head and looked up at her.

"That and…me," Once again his eyes left his mother and went down to his scarred hands. He rubbed his wrists, remembering the familiar feeling of tight shackles keeping him attached to the prison wall back on Berk.

"You?" Valka asked even more worried. She could see where this was going, but before she dared to speak up about it she needed to hear it. She couldn't just jump to conclusions. Her eyes noticed Hiccup's hand movements.

"Yeah," Hiccup sighed. "I didn't know why he was angry at me for so long, or why anyone was, but Gobber told me what happened," he paused. "You were taken away from Berk because of me-

"Don't," Valka said sharply. She took his hands in hers, feeling his scars by the contact. "Don't blame yourself for my decision. I made the choice of saving you and never returning to Berk even if I could have-

"But that's just it," Hiccup said, cutting her off. "Maybe...," his voice went low as a whisper barely audible with the other voices filling the cave. "Maybe if I wasn't born," his voice cracked. "You and dad would have been happy like you are now."

Hiccup looked away from his mother ashamed, but he felt two fingers turn his head back to her. "Don't ever think that way," his mother said. "If anyone is to blame, it's us, not you. We did this to you; we did this to your life. Not you."

Hiccup sighed, but nodded in defeat. Though, it didn't change his mind of the subject. He felt her hands back in his and he was pulled to his foot – and prosthetic. "Come on," he looked at his mother. "There's someone I want you to meet," Before Hiccup knew it the two were on their way to the gap they arrived through earlier that day.

Time seemed to pass quicker each time they walked the small distance to the center of her nest. Once again, Hiccup was speechless of the place. The dragons flying around, living in peace from the evil people of this world. He was happy that they had someone who protected them; someone who lived out his dream. His dream about stopping the war between Vikings and Dragons; not only on the islands near Berkian territory, but everywhere on dragon back he could reach.

"After hearing about this… Red Death," his mother started. Hiccup's gaze shifted to her while they walked closer to the end of a cliff. "I thought maybe you'd like to see one of the good Alphas, or as I call him, the King of all dragons." Valka looked down below her and Hiccup followed her gaze. His jaw dropped to his feet. Lying below the cliff was a gigantic dragon. If Hiccup ever encountered a dragon like it outside in the snow covered land he wouldn't be sure if he'd even been able to spot it. Stealth like it gave the dragon an advantage even as the Alpha himself.

"He's one of the few left of his specie, the bewilderbeasts."

"I'm sure Fishlegs would faint by the sight of him," Hiccup gasped, but remembered his mother didn't know who he was talking about. "He's the one who, uhm, sat with his notebook back there," Valka nodded, but the face of the young blond girl with him earlier flashed in her mind.

"That girl back there," Valka began. "Is she your girlfriend?" Hiccup laughed nervously, pulling something out of his pocket.

"Yeah, but hopefully soon my fiancé." Hiccup opened his palm. In his hand laid a golden ring that shined by the light from above them. Attached to it was a blue orb. "Do you think she'll like it? It took me ages to find the right jewel with the same color as her eyes-

His mother cut him speechless as she wrapped her arms around her and embraced him tightly. "She'll love it," She whispered into his neck. Hiccup smiled. "I'm so proud of you son," Valka's eyes widened. She pulled back and stared at Hiccup. After staying away for twenty years, she didn't feel the pride in calling someone her child because of her decisions. "M-may I…," She tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. "Call you that?" Hiccup's surprised face relaxed into a smile. He pulled her in for a hug.

"Only if I can call you mom," Hiccup whispered. He felt his mother's arms tighten around him and her nod against his neck. Hiccup smiled, taking in her calming aroma once again. "I'm glad you're alive, mom."

"It's good to be, son," Valka whispered. They pulled away and looked down at the bewilderbeast one more time before making their way to the gap in the wall. "Once you're married, make sure to give me grandchildren," Valka whispered.

"Not you too!" Hiccup groaned, rubbing his eyes as he heard the laughter of his mother. He smiled, letting his hands cover his eyes before he removed them. He followed his mother through the tunnels, since he still wasn't used to it. They rounded a corner and Valka stopped.

Someone was whistling.

"Mom?" Hiccup asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

 _I'll swim and sail on savage seas…_

Silence.

 _With ne'er a fear of drowning…_

"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.

 _And gladly ride the waves of life…_

Valka lowered her head.

 _If you will marry me…_

She placed her hand on her chest and closed her eyes.

 _No scorching sun…_

A tear shed from her eye and she quietly started singing it inside her head.

 _Nor freezing cold…_

 _Will stop me on my journey…_

 _If you will promise me your heart…_

 _And love…_

Valka found herself walking out of the tunnel and into the room filled with the Vikings. Everyone was settled down around the fire, listening to Stoick. She opened her mouth and continued where Stoick left off.

 _And love me for eternity…_

Her eyes met Stoick's.

 _My dearest one…_

Stoick stood up and looked at her with wide eyes.

 _My darling dear…_

Hiccup sat down beside Astrid to give room for them. Astrid took his hands in his and they both smiled at each other while watching his father and mother perform.

 _Your mighty words astound me…_

 _But I've no need for mighty deeds…_

She reached out her arm and held in front of me.

 _When I feel your arms around me…_

Stoick hooked his own arm around hers and escaped from his trance. A smile stretched across his lips as their feet moved to their voices. Eyes locked with one another.

Hiccup tapped his one good leg and palm on his knee to the rhythm of the song. He remembered this song from somewhere, but he couldn't set his tongue on it as the song carried on to the very end. He watched his father bend down on one knee and hold his mother's hands in his as if proposing to her anew.

"Will you come home Val?" Stoick's eyes welled with tears. "Will you be my wife once again?" Valka bites her lip, looking away. Stoick stood up and still held her soft hands. "We can be a family," She smiled sweetly, tears filling her eyes as well. Always in her life had she looked forward to the day she would grow up, get married and have a family, and her plans had all so sudden taken change. But now she had another chance on her dream.

Her eyes met Stoick's teary ones. She smiled and weakly whispered, "Yes."

Hiccup rose from his seat, shedding a tear himself. He looked at Astrid who captured his hand in hers and intertwined their fingers, standing up herself. They leaned in closer and pressed their lips together while smiling. Tears braiding together.

All of a sudden, a loud crack was heard and everything went black.


	101. Chapter 101

Hiccup woke up to a blinding pain in his head. Every sound around him was muffled, but as quick as everything had happened, his hearing slowly came back.

"Hiccup!" His father ran over to him, kneeling down beside him and helping him sit up. Hiccup held is aching head and felt a drop of liquid on his cheek. "Are you alright?" He asked hurriedly, stroking away the drop of blood on his cheek. Stoick gently took Hiccup's hand away from his head and looked at it. Hiccup tried to hold his focus on his father, but everything was spinning. He looked down at his hand and found it coated in blood. His blood.

The chief's hand blocked his vision for a few seconds to press cloth against his bleeding head. Hiccup tried to look up at his father but only his right eye fully responded to let him see. Only by that did Hiccup know his head injury was serious. Stoick's lips parted and words came out but Hiccup could barely hear him. He felt his father lift him up on his shaky legs and a scaly head go beneath his opposite sided arm. "We have to get to safe ground," Hiccup heard someone else say as his hearing became clearer. There were screams and roars, cracking sounds of stone and ice.

"W-what's going on?" Hiccup asked, barely hearing his own voice through the mass of sounds. He looked at his father who looked from side to side worriedly, flinching every now and then, and shielding him with his arm while they kept moving.

Valka appeared beside his father. "Drago Bludvist is attacking our nest," She said. Hiccup looked at her with weak eyes and was met with both worried and scared ones. Her eyes reflected his own when she said what he'd hoped least for; the one thing that had torn the happy hours to a blood shedding war.

"Drago w-what now?" Hiccup asked. They stopped moving. Stoick gently helped Hiccup sit down as Valka took out gauze and knelt down in front of him.

"Drago Bludvist," Valka corrected him. "I don't have time to explain. All I can tell you is that we have to save the dragons and stop that mad man," Hiccup nodded once she finished tending to his head wound. He wiped his eye, drying it from any cobber filled liquid. But even so, his eye was just the same blurred from when he woke up.

"A-alright, let's get going," Hiccup said, jumping into Toothless's saddle. Stoick grabbed his hand before he could strap himself any further on.

"You won't be assisting us Hiccup. That injury is serious and we don't have the time or the supply to deal with it now," Stoick stopped him.

"But I can still fight!" Hiccup argued.

"No, Hiccup. And that's final!" Stoick roared with anger; enough to make Hiccup silent. He looked at his helmet and sideway at his metal leg.

"I'm sorry dad, but I have to do this," Hiccup patted Toothless's head and changed his metal leg to his saddle.

"Hiccup," Stoick warned, but he still wouldn't listen. Toothless sprinted forward on Hiccup's commands, running towards the nearest gap in the ruins of ice. He roared as a warning and Hiccup held tightly on to the saddle with both hands; his helmet once again on his head. With the little vision his eyes would give him, Hiccup couldn't only see terror. Terror made by the commands of this so called Drago Bludvist. His army of soldiers and dragons were attacking with full power on the nest, shooting down dragons, capturing them, killing them.

Only by scanning the area beneath him as he flew over the battlefield on Toothless's back, he couldn't help but wonder, how did Drago and his army control the dragons to turn against their own kin? But then he heard it. Hiccup's gaze shifted to shore where ships were anchored for the battle, but something beneath caught his attention; a massive grey figure, blurred by the water's transparency, that sent large bubbles which disappeared by the contact of air. Hiccup steered Toothless in for a dive to free dragons, also tearing his eyes of the mysterious creature luring in the water. He searched through the sky and below in search for his friends. He needed to know they were alright. He needed to see it for himself. But instead, he spotted his mother on the battlefield, her dragon trapped in a net.

"Toothless! Free mom's dragon!" Hiccup shouted over the endless battle cries below. Toothless screeched, diving downwards and extending his claws and legs. He dove down with Hiccup clinging to his body for more speed, and ripped the bola off her dragon. Hiccup steered him back up in the air, a far distance away from the archers.

"Alright bud, its show time," Hiccup muttered under his helmet, rubbing Toothless's scales for comfort. Toothless cooed, going up high and turning sharply for a dive, but something stopped him. He stopped in mid-air, almost sending Hiccup off his back by surprise. "What is it bud? Talk to me!" Hiccup placed his hand on his head, but Toothless shook it off. He growled, looking down in the water. Hiccup followed his gaze and saw the grey creature move beneath the boats, sending them sideways off of it as it rose to the surface. Hiccup gasped. "N-no," He whispered, lifting his up his helmet to get a better view. "H-he couldn't possibly…" Beneath them, rising up from the ice cold water, was another alpha. Drago's alpha. A bewilderbeast. It was similar to the one he was showed by his mother, but it carried this evil spirit that affected those around him. Its scales were greyer and the spikes on his head blood red on the ends. A large, special made but broken chain hung almost forced on its left tusk.

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY! FISHLEGS IS GOING DOWN!" Hiccup tore his eyes from the beast and saw Snotlout riding Hookfang, trying to catch Fishlegs. Without giving commands Toothless dove down past Hookfang in top speed, extending his claws as they closed up on Fishlegs screaming figure. "Come on, come on," Hiccup muttered, bending more forward. His eyes narrowed in focus, silently counting down from five.

5…

Fishlegs terrified scream rang in his ear.

4…

Hiccup's heart broke for each meter the ground was closing in.

3…

Meatlug roared from, flapping her wings towards her rider. A bola wrapped around her body, parting them from each other even more.

2…

Snotlout watched Fishlegs in horror, going out of focus from controlling his direction of flight.

1…

Hookfang took a sharp turn from hearing his fellow teammate crash land in the middle of an uproar of Vikings, trapped in a bola. He dove down with his traumatized rider in hope to rescue Meatlug from the enemy's grasp.

0…

Toothless snatched Fishlegs by his shoulders, Hiccup responding with pulling up with all force. Fishlegs shrieked, clinging onto Toothless for dear life. His feet barely missed the snow covered ground before the trio was back up in the air, far from any human made harm.

Hiccup opened his helmet, looking down beneath Toothless. "Fishlegs! Are you alright?!" He yelled. Toothless threw Fishlegs up from his claws, dove downwards and caught the screaming man on his back. Hiccup turned around. "Fishlegs!" He shouted, snapping him out of his daze. "What happened?"

"Sorry-I just-I sort of fainted after seeing…that!" Fishlegs pointed down in horror at the bewilderbeast making its way to assist his master. "I can't believe such a dragon exists!" Fishlegs squealed. Hiccup frowned. "Hiccup, don't you see, this is new specie! A new discovery- "Fishlegs, this isn't really the time to discuss dragons. We're in the middle of a war remember?" Hiccup pointed down below.

Fishlegs looked down below and gasped as if realization just hit him. "Oh…Right."

"Come on, we need to gather up the others-

"Looking for us, dragon boy?" Both Hiccup and Fishlegs turned their heads to find Astrid flying towards them with the twins.

"Hey, where's Meatlug?" Fishlegs squeaked out nervously, looking everywhere.

"Here she is, quit worrying!" Snotlout yelled, coming up behind them. Meatlug followed after them, her eyes searching everywhere for her rider.

"Meatlug!" Fishlegs yelled, jumping out of Toothless's saddle and back in Meatlug's. "Oh, you had me so worried there. Never do that again! You scare daddy half to death!" Fishlegs rubbed his hands against Meatlug's scales. Meatlug licked his cheek affectionately.

"What about me? No compliments for the guy who barely got out of there alive?" Snotlout complained, crossing his arms.

"Uh, Snotlout," Hiccup said, pointing to his shoulder.

"That too," Snotlout complained, turning away from Fishlegs with a huff. Hiccup steered Toothless over to him. He took of his helmet and balanced it in his lap while he unwrapped the gauze around his head.

"It's not much, but it should hold for a while," Hiccup undid the gauze completely and put Toothless's tail on automatic. He jumped over on Hookfang's back, balancing himself as he kneeled down.

"But you need it for your head," Snotlout argued, looking over his shoulder. Hiccup ripped up his shirt. "I'll be fine, just keep it for yourself. We can't have that head injury get worse."

"Snotlout, we don't have time for this," Hiccup took a hold of the arrow and his other hand on Snotlout's shoulder. He pulled it out and quickly pressed his hand against the wound. "Your wound is more serious than mine, now sit still!" Hiccup argued. He started wrapping Snotlout's shoulder up with no more objections. "Do we have any information on the enemy?"

"Not much, but the twins managed to pick up that Drago has a second-in-command. Hiccup, his right-hand-in-man is trying to get rid of your mother for him!" Hiccup's eyes widened and he paused tending to Snotlout's wound and looked below.

"Okay," Hiccup said, trying to calm himself down. He wrapped him up quicker. "Help my mother. I have to try to convince Drago from letting this war continue."

"What?! Are you crazy?" Fishlegs yelled worriedly. "Am I the only one who noticed here that he has an armada, an alpha and dragons on his side?"

"I'm very well aware of that Fishlegs which is why I have to try. I don't know any more of Drago than you guys do, but he doesn't seem like the guy to only hold a grudge against one person. If we don't stop him, then who knows where he'll attack next? It might as well be Berk, and we can't let that happen."

"Then I'm coming with you," Astrid yelled.

"Astrid-

"No! I'm not letting you go down and confront that mad man by yourself. Whether you like it or not, I'm coming with you," Hiccup sighed in defeat.

"Alright," He announced. "The rest of you try to protect my mother and the dragons," they nodded. "It's now or never," he muttered and jumped back on Toothless's back, putting his leg back in the strap before he steered Toothless and led Astrid down towards the man.


	102. Chapter 102

"Stop!" Hiccup yelled, landing a second later on the ground. Astrid landed behind them on Stormfly, jumping off with her axe in hand. She sent her dragon off to assist the other before she walked over to stand beside Hiccup who left his inferno in its place to seem less of a threat. "Stop this, we don't want war!" Hiccup yelled, finally getting the attention from Drago.

"Now who may this be?" Drago chuckled, pointing his staff at Hiccup. "Is this a joke?" Hiccup ignored his question. He didn't believe that giving out information about himself would do any good. "We don't want to fight you, we want peace. We want to live in a world where dragons and Vikings live in harmony, but all this destruction…why?" Hiccup was at loss of words as Drago walked closer to him, examining him from head to toe as he moved in a circle around him. Hiccup didn't let his guard down.

"Silly boy," Drago smirked, his raspy laughter sending waves of pain through Hiccup's ears. "You can't create peace with creatures that has created so much destruction and pain in this world."

"Oh really? I convinced the most stubborn tribe that fighting wasn't the answer, so tell me; why shouldn't I be able to do that with your men?" Drago laughed, stopping in front of him. He stabbed his staff into the ground and placed his hand on his left shoulder, unclicking his metal arm.

"People like me who have watched their village get burnt off the face of the earth, and in reward getting scars like this," Drago held his metal arm with his right hand, pulling it away from his shoulder enough to expose an amputee. "Won't ever side with peace. In mind, war is the only option, and that is what you will get for siding with alliance of creatures like them." He attached his metal arm back in place and picked up his staff.

Hiccup laughed. "Then if you're not in alliance with your dragons, what are they to you? Wild animals?"

"They are our slaves," Drago said, looking at him darkly. Astrid stepped forward, holding her axe tightly, but Hiccup stopped her. "They work for us; they give us great power over the weak."

"Then tell we one thing," Hiccup said sternly. "Why a dragon army?"

"Well, you need dragons to conquer other dragons," Drago said casually.

"Or maybe you need dragons to conquer people," Hiccup said, looking at him with pure hatred. "To control those who follow you," He took a deep breath. "And to get rid of those who won't."

Drago chuckled, pointing his staff at him. "You got me there…clever boy," he muttered. "And I assume you wouldn't join my army? I don't think I have a night fury in my army," Toothless growled.

"I would never even think about joining you. As long as my tribe and I are alive, I won't stop trying to convince people like you." Hiccup reached out for his inferno as the feeling of being threatened almost overwhelmed him. He knew now that there was no more he could do with his words. His barrier was broken, and now, he had to fight for what he believed in.

"I must say, that's a shame…oh great dragon master, if I may call you that," Hiccup glared at him. "Let this be a lesson for you," Drago rose his staff up above him. "Dragons are monsters." Drago swung his staff in the air around in circles and screamed out. Astrid walked over to Hiccup, placing a hand on his shoulder and leading him a far distance away from Drago and safely behind Toothless. A loud thud echoed in the air and the three of them turned towards the sound. Drago's bewilderbeast was walking towards them, not minding anything below as if in a trance. The bewilderbeast stood behind his master, looking down at him for a command.

Astrid took Hiccup's hand in hers. "Where's the good alpha?" She whispered, looking at him in fear.

Hiccup looked at her before searching his surroundings. "I don't – n-no," Hiccup gasped. His eyes fell on the white scaled creature lying on its side. It wasn't moving. His eyes went back to the alpha. Its tusks were coated in blood.

"It was nice talking with you, boy," Drago snickered, pointing his staff at the bewilderbeast behind him. "But I won't let people who fight against me get away," He slowly moved his staff away from the alpha and held it out in front of me. "Remember this, evil always wins." He pointed his staff at Toothless.

Toothless growled, wrapping his tail around Hiccup and Astrid protectively. He looked at Drago but heard a voice call for him.

 _Kill…_

Toothless roared, shaking his head in immense pain. His paws clawed the snow, scratching the ground beneath them. He heard his friend call out to him, but the voice blocked him out and invited itself deeper in his mind.

 _Destroy…_

He clawed lightly at his head, whining for the voice to get out. He growled, opening his eyes to see the once white coated ground, covered in blood and bodies.

 _Execute…_

kept his eyes open and stared at the bodies. Voices were in ear-shot but muffled by his trance. He was horrified. He had made peace with the humans. He was always in peace with the dragons. Then what did this? What caused this destruction?

 _Master…_

He turned around and looked to where the bodies piled up. The dead corpses stopped by his master's feet. His sword dripping of blood. Toothless growled under his breath. He had trusted him. He had trusted Hiccup. He became his best friend. He had believed he wasn't like any normal Viking back then, but now he realized he was wrong. His master, no, the traitor, was just like them. Hungry for bloodshed. Toothless opened his mouth, firing up his throat with plasma. He had to do as the voice told him to. He had to kill the traitor. Destroy him for this world. Execute his master for the sake of peace. More voices came in ear-shot, but Toothless payed no attention to any other voice then the one in his head. His only true master. The Alpha.

Hiccup looked at Toothless as he turned his head to them. His own eyes widened in fear while looking into his best friend's slit pupils. He couldn't see anything but pure hatred; the same he had shot in a glare to Drago. His hand went up in front of him, dropping his inferno and reaching out for the old Toothless, while his other backed Astrid backwards with him. "Toothless, come on bud! It's me!" Hiccup tried desperately to make contact, but Toothless only snarled. "Stop this! What is wrong with you?!" Hiccup shouted, backing away in fear. Astrid looked over his shoulder. Never once had she experienced such fear. The fear of Hiccup's loyal dragon that had saved them so many times.

"Hiccup!" His father called from up a hill far away. Hiccup looked at him as he ran for his dear life. His mother followed behind him, but struggled to keep up with him. Hiccup's eyes widened even more when he turned his attention back to Toothless. Toothless's lips were parted and purple light formed deep down his throat, getting brighter and brighter. Hiccup let his hand fall out and immediately took Astrid by her waist and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her into his chest.

"Astrid, I want you to listen to me alright?" He whispered, tears falling into her braided hair. "I love you, and I always will," he kissed her forehead and looked over his shoulder to see the light brighter and bigger. "Remember how I said I would protect you with all my life?" Astrid looked up from his chest. Hiccup's tears fell on her wet cheeks. "If you didn't believe me then, I will prove it to you." Astrid realized what he was doing and tried to tear away from his arms, but she was too weak from his words. "Stay alive, you hear me?" Hiccup cried, cupping her cheek. "Promise me."

"Hiccup, I have to tell-

"Promise me you'll stay alive!" Hiccup sobbed into her hair.

"I-I promise," She cried, burying her head into his chest. Her hands held tightly on his chest armor as she sobbed. "I-I love you."

"I love you too, milady. Forever and always," Hiccup whispered, kissing her one last time. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her head close. The blast was released.


	103. Chapter 103

Astrid closed her burning eyes tightly, soaking her own hands that rested against Hiccup's chest. She sobbed into his chest, holding onto him tighter for each word he spoke and each word she spoke herself. Her right hand went down to her stomach. She sobbed harder, trying to tell him what she hid from him ever since the day started. But then it came.

She screamed into Hiccup's chest as the two were lifted off the ground and sent backwards with a force so horrifying. She lifted her head up to Hiccup when she heard him gasp. His eyes were bloodshot and wide open in terror, focused on nothing in particular. She tore her eyes away from his face and buried herself back in his chest. But a gasp escaped her lips as her back made contact with something hard.

Astrid felt herself slip out of Hiccup's limp arms and watched helplessly as she herself got separated from him. She yelped by the contact of hard ground and used her arms to slow her body down from slipping further away. Her eyes squeezed shut. Her body stopped moving and farther. Her lips parted to let out another gasp. For a second, she couldn't move; her body was paralyzed. Frozen in both shock and pain from the impact on her spine.

She fell on her back, breathing heavily. Her hands struggled to help her body sit up right, but she managed eventually, and when she did, it felt as if all the pain disappeared and her energy returned in a flash.

"H-Hiccup," She cried, pushing herself up from the ground. Hiccup lay with his face down in the snow. Large icicles resting itself on his body. Astrid cried his name again, but he didn't move. He laid there. Pale as the snow below him. Her legs carried her the fastest they could go over to him before falling down in a glide beside him. She pushed the ice off him, crying even more as the calls from his father and mother came in ear-shot. "Come on Hiccup, move!" Astrid cried, pushing the last of ice away from him. She rolled him over and shook his body.

"Stop messing around! Please!" She yelled, slapping his face. She didn't feel anything when she held his hand, other than his ice cold skin. She had expected a pulse, weak or strong, it didn't matter; as long as it was there. But it wasn't. "This isn't funny! You can't be-

"Astrid," Astrid turned her head around, looking at Valka with tearful eyes. "He's….," she turned her head down with a deep breath.

"N-no, I-I don't believe it…he-he has to be alive-I can't-," She stopped abruptly with her words when Valka pulled her into her chest, placing a hand on her head. Valka hushed her, soothing her hair while looking down at the peaceful, pale face of her son, shedding a few tears herself. Her arms held Astrid tighter. Astrid's words bringing her deeper into a heartbreak.

Valka looked over Hiccup's body and upwards. Stoick stood there, looking down at Hiccup with an unreadable expression plastered on his face. He held his sword tight in his grip. His expression changed to pure hatred. "Drago did this," Stoick gritted his teeth. "He killed our son," he growled, holding his sword in a death grip. His hand moved the sword up in eye's view before he looked back up at the mad man responsible. "He'll pay for what he did."

His wife looked up at him fearfully, following his gaze. Realization hit her hard. "Stoick, don't-

"I have to," Stoick said, making his way towards Drago who had his back to him, walking away satisfied. "I have to do this…for Hiccup," he rose his sword; the snow cracking beneath his feet. Drago turned around at the sound, ducking away from Stoick's sword.

Drago laughed. "Ah…Stoick the Vast," He smirked. "I see you've survived the war so far." Stoick glared at him, aiming for his head. Drago blocked with his staff.

"You murdered…my son," Stoick growled, charging at him. Drago stepped to the side, digging his staff in his fur and throwing him to the ground.

"That toothpick is…hang on," Drago held up a finger, looking up to the sky in thoughts. "Was…your son?"

Stoick growled at him, turning around. He tore Drago's staff from his cloak and thrust the hilt into Drago's stomach. Drago groaned, holding his aching area.

"Don't you have any respect for the fallen?" Stoick yelled, grabbing his head. He smashed Drago's head against his knee before throwing him to the ground and kicking him a few feet away.

Drago snickered. He held his aching lip and looked at his blood covered thumb. He looked up with a sly smile. "Your son got what was coming for him," Drago smirked, clenching his fists as Stoick came charging for him. He punched his face, sending him to the ground before Stoick could make a single cut. "Join me and you won't have to suffer the same way he did," Drago pointed his finger over to Hiccup's body, but Stoick didn't look. He didn't need his eyes to tell him who the mad man was talking about.

"I would never join the one who killed my own son," Stoick stood back up, wiping his lips. "But I would make him pay!" He raised his sword, clashing it against Drago staff. They parried with each other's strengths to fight the opposite down on his knees. Stoick's adrenaline pumped through his veins in a flash. He made a final push with his sword, sending both him and Drago away from each other. But in the same instant, he went for another blow. He swung his sword against Drago's staff, turned around to gather more strength for the next blow.

Drago's eyes narrowed in focus of holding Stoick back until Stoick would reach his limits. He held his staff in front of him, taking every hit from Stoick's sword. His eyes were locked with Stoick's; both glaring daggers. Stoick even more so.

Crack.

Drago's eyes widened, and both he and Stoick broke their glaring contest to watch his staff snap and fall out of reach in two pieces. Stoick turned his eyes back at Drago's wide ones. He grinned. "This is for my son," Stoick growled. He lifted his sword above his head and swung it across Drago's neck. He glared at Drago's decapitated body once more before throwing his blood soaked sword to the ground and turning around. A thud was heard behind him, but he ignored it and kept walking. Stoick thought that killing Drago, avenging his son, would make him feel better. Flood his shoulders with relief, but instead it stayed the same as when Drago was still alive. Stoick didn't feel anything else than his heart break and his feet losing the feeling in them. His eyes landed on Hiccup's still body, lying in the arms of his future daughter-in-law.

Astrid's voice was in no use anymore. She had stopped yelling at Hiccup; yelling at him to wake up like he had done with his other near-death experiences, but he didn't. He lay still in her arms, his body shaking by her trembling body, his skin becoming paler for each second and cooler by the touch. Her tears never had the chance to dry on her pink cheeks as more tears seemed to come. She didn't look away from his peaceful face even as Stoick kneeled down on the opposite carrying his cloak. Stoick gently draped it over Hiccup's body, but still, Astrid didn't look away. Not until Stoick lifted Hiccup's covered body up in his arms and stood up.

Stoick looked up from his arms and met Valka's eyes. He noticed everyone was gathered. A purr came from beside him. "Toothless," Stoick sighed, closing his eyes. Toothless growled, nudging Hiccup's hand. His master didn't respond. Toothless nudged him again and cooed, trying to tell him he didn't mean it. He hadn't realized everything was a hallucination to make him turn against his best friend; to kill his own master. He looked up at Hiccup's father growling sadly. Stoick held his head low. "I'm sorry, Toothless…he's…," Toothless's eyes went wide. He nudged Hiccup's hand again and continued on doing so until he felt a hand on his head. He looked at Astrid.

"Toothless, s-stop," she cried. Toothless cooed, nudging her. "I-it won't do any good. He-he's already gone," she opened her eyes, looking at him. Toothless looked at Hiccup, nudging his hand one last time before bowing his head. Astrid looked up at Stoick, awaiting orders.

"Get your dragons," Stoick spoke up. He took a deep breath, looking down at Hiccup. "Hiccup deserves a proper funeral. We're taking him back with us. To Berk," Everyone nodded. Astrid pulled the lever to Toothless's tailfin on gliding mode. She patted his head before mounting her own dragon.


	104. Chapter 104

As the sorrow filled chief sat himself in his saddle with his son in his arms and set off to give his fallen heir a proper funeral, Drago's remaining men gathered up around their fallen master. Drago's assistant stared at his master's beheaded body in horror. He fell to his knees, his hands shaking. Drago had meant everything to him; everything to his men. They hadn't joined him out of fear. They had joined his dragon army for revenge, and now everything was over. Drago's crew didn't have anywhere to go, anyone to go to or anyone for them to follow now that their leader is gone. But their second-in-command believed they had one more thing to do; get revenge for their fallen warrior. He buried his hands in the snow, squeezing his eyes shut to let a few tears fall. "We will avenge you," he growled, clenching his fingers in a fist.

"Eret!" A soldier came up to him. "What are we going to do now?" Eret didn't look up just yet. He stared at Drago's body, his mind flashing the pictures of Bludvist's killer. He slowly raised himself up on his feet.

"Drago deserved better than this," Eret said, finally tearing his eyes off the body and to the crowd who looked up at him; looked up at Drago's most trusted man. "We have the power to finish this," He looked at the alpha. "We have a chance to avenge him," He took a deep breath and sheathed his swords. He looked up in the sky to see their new enemies fly up in the clouds. "And we're going to take it."

"They're back!"

"Took 'em long enough! I still need help with my sheep!"

"Look! There's someone else with them!"

Vikings dropped themselves out of their daily chores to look up at the sky as nine black shapes appeared from the clouds. As the black shadows on the setting light got closer, each and every women and men on the land of Berk could tell who they were. Except for one.

Two questions became a popular subject in the crowd that crowded around the landing dragons and their riders. First question came as a reaction to the extra winged dragon and the rider standing on it half dressed in armor. Who was it?

Second question came as another reaction, but more abrupt than the first one according to both answers compared. One was a happy, rather thrilling answer. But the second was far more depressing to handle.

Stoick was barely alerted by the jolt forward from landing. The questions surrounding him, cornering him from every direction was overwhelming. His hands shook, resulting to the body covered by fur shaking with them.

He didn't move out of his saddle and yell at them to get in the Great Hall like he usually would after discovering or witnessing such danger and blood shedding war. No. Instead, he continued sitting there, staring at the crowd in front of him. The images his eyes created were blurrier and pounding to the rhythm of his own heart. Faster and faster. Blurrier and blurrier.

His mind begged for his voice to work; to make Gobber quiet them down so his own voice would be heard even how weak it came out, but he didn't come further than parting his lips.

None of them responded to their questions. No one broke out of their trauma and yelled at them for being demanding Vikings. No one did anything but stare in their dragon's neck or didn't look at all. But almost as if a miracle happened by someone reading their thoughts, the crowd read their facial expression instead and went deadly silent.

"E-everyone," Stoick's voice cracked, coming out of the mighty chief as a small broken squeak. He cleared his throat. "Set everything ready…for a funeral." As quick as it had quieted down it all started coming alive again. Even more questions than the second they landed came flooding into Stoick's mind, but they were all the same. The women and men around them spoke in one set, and this time Gobber made his move to quiet them down. Yet, also the strong blacksmith of Berk spoke even weaker than the chief did; only difference was that he didn't hide it. Stoick tore his eyes away from the fur below him once they went silent enough for him to speak again.

"Hiccup…is gone," he said, looking up at them with tearful eyes. "H-he…he deserves a proper funeral…," Stoick looked over his shoulder at Astrid. "For what he did and what he has always done," he looked away from the shields maiden and back down at the bearskin. "Gobber," he muttered in command.

Without needing more to be said, Stoick lightly kicked Skullcrusher's side and set off to his house while trusting his right-hand-in-man to get everything ready. He needed time with his wife to say his final farewell.

Valka landed her dragon, Cloudjumper, in front of the house she hadn't seen in years. A flash for her eyes appeared when she jumped up and looked at it. The same house burning flashed through her mind from the day she had spotted a dragon set fire to Stoick and her house, break into the second floor where Hiccup laid in his cradle.

Even the residence itself formed tears in her eyes. She knew once she stepped inside she would spot traces of Hiccup everywhere, whether it was a picture or the tiniest thing as a little rusted piece of metal. She had observed Hiccup to be good with his hands the first time she got a good look at him. His appearance said so much about his personality, but the way Hiccup had told her before the attack - about how he was treated in his earlier years on Berk - she understood that she was the only one who noticed such.

It wasn't a bad ability for her; in fact, it was a great capability. She could pick up more about him than the words escaping his lips would allow her to hear. She could use it to find out more about his personality and maybe take that as a lead in getting to know him better, and come one step closer in making up for their lost time apart. But now that she thought over it a second time, she didn't do else than sigh and close her eyes.

She couldn't have any of that. Because now that the life was out of her son, she couldn't pick up anything more about him as if a shield blocked her skill out and replaced it with more sorrow than before.

Valka followed her husband through the door, lifting her lowered head a little. Unexpectedly, she found everything the same it had been twenty years ago; Stoick's special made chair, the fire pit with their cauldron out of reach from the heat, the table in the corner with the lonely little chair she used before. Everything was the same except for one thing.

A portrait of Hiccup and Stoick hanging on the wall next to a portrait of her; a portrait made a long time ago. But she couldn't tell when theirs were made. In her eyes, Hiccup seemed so small. Different from what he was now. But then a thought came in mind.

She narrowed her eyes, walking mindlessly towards the picture. She scanned their expressions slowly for a short second. She reached out her hand for the portrait, but retreated it almost immediately. Her hand found her chest and her lips found themselves to smile. She could see now. See and know without asking, when the portrait was made.

It was made around the time when Stoick had finally accepted Hiccup as his son.

She could see it by only looking at their face. Her mind made a picture appear in her mind; a picture so similar to the picture on the wall. A picture where they both smiled like a true family when they were reunited back in the nest. Their smiles were no different, nor were their body-language, and she felt loved by that.

Her thoughts broke in half by hearing the stairs creak. She turned her eyes away from the smile contagious portrait and back to the gloomy reality of the present. Valka kept her eyes on the floor as she followed Stoick upstairs with Toothless trailing behind. She almost stumbled on the last step in deep thoughts, but caught her footing and stopped beside Stoick.

In the quiet atmosphere she could hear Stoick sigh and lay Hiccup down on the lonely bed. She looked at the fur as it was gently lifted to reveal their son's peaceful, pale face.

"I'll…," Valka's voice cracked. She cleared her throat and placed a hand on Stoick's shoulder. "I'll go get something to c-clean his injury with," she excused herself. Stoick barely nodded. He heard her leave the room to get some supplies. Meanwhile, Stoick pulled out a chair from Hiccup's desk and pulled it up against Hiccup's bed, making just enough space between the bed and the chair for himself.

Gently, as if touching glass, he took Hiccup's hand in both of his own, wincing slightly by the coolness. His lips parted, but yet again no words came out.

Stoick had brought Hiccup to their house for a final goodbye, but he couldn't bring himself to say a single word. He couldn't find himself to do anything else then apologize to his son in his mind while his eyes stared at him in hope. Hope that the color to his skin would change back to normal. Hope that he would sit up and shock him by breathing like a living person; showing that he was alive at all like he had done so many times before. But this time it seemed rather impossible. After the many encounters Hiccup had with near-death experiences, he had never seemed so lifeless in Stoick's eyes. So pale. So dead.

Stoick wanted to bawl his eyes out over his son, but he didn't. His body was frozen; frozen enough for his emotions to stay hidden behind a mask. He didn't bother being alerted by the small footsteps coming from behind. He didn't bother turn around or look at his wife as she gently drenched a piece of cloth and began cleaning Hiccup's bleeding head. He didn't bother to wash his crimson stained hands; he didn't bother to do anything, but sit there as if he was deceased as well. And deep down, he really felt like a goner.

Valka looked at Stoick and took a deep breath. "Hiccup…he," Stoick looked at her. "He told me everything." Stoick closed his eyes with a sigh, covering his face with his hands.

"I'm sorry Val," he whispered.

"Stoick," Valka stopped cleaning Hiccup's head. "I'm not mad."

"Why? I did all those horrible things-

"I understand why you did what you did, and I won't say I'm happy about it," she sighed. "I'm not mad at your actions or your decisions because you did what you thought were right. Everyone makes mistakes at times, some worse than others, but you learned from it didn't you?" Stoick nodded with a half laugh.

"Yes, I did."

Valka smiled. "I won't be mad at you for the mistakes you've done because I know you wouldn't be mad at me for mine. Hiccup," She looked down at his face. "He was so happy when we were finally together again. I could tell it by the look in his eyes. And I'm sure that he's looking down at us from Valhalla," she looked back at Stoick.

"My point is, he wouldn't want us to be together to fight over our past. He would want us to be together and forget about everything that has happened and turn our focus back on what we can do with our future. Together."

Stoick smiled, taking her hand in his. "Thank you Val," he kissed her hand, holding it against his cheek as he looked at Hiccup. "You always know how to cheer me up even if it's just a little."

Valka stroke a tear away from his eye with her thumb. She dipped the wet rag back in the bucket of water and took his hands in hers. She gently washed his stained hands and her own. After drying both their hands, she held his in hers and looked deep into his eyes. She forced a smile through her torn emotions. "Come on," Valka stood up, pulling him up with her. "We better see if everything is ready," Stoick nodded.

"You're right," He squeezed her hand and together they walked downstairs. Stoick was about to open the door when it suddenly slammed open. Gobber stood there, panting on his knees.


	105. Chapter 105

"Drago's…army…is…attacking!" He yelled, pointing on the horizon. Stoick looked at Valka worriedly before the three of them sprinted out of the house and narrowed their eyes. Gobber was right. His army was attacking with the new Alpha by their side.

"Load the catapults!" Stoick ran down to the village, his wife following behind, while shouting commands. "Archers get in position!" He yelled to the big crowd by the armory where a big crowd was. Men and women stepped aside to let the archers get their weapons before them. "Sound the alarm!" Stoick didn't know how to take the situation at hand. He was angry and distracted. He felt powerless even with the power he held.

They were supposed to prepare for a funeral and suddenly their greatest enemy shows up on the horizon with a dragon that could make the whole island into an ice sculpture in seconds. He was stressed. His mound clouded with anger and worry mixed together. He was angry about the interruption and worried that his army would come back for revenge. Of course he knew the moment they set foot on the docks; they would be calling for his head. But that wasn't his biggest concern. He didn't care for his own life now that all of Berk's population was in danger. The Hooligan could go extinct.

Stoick cupped his mouth and shouted, "Women and children to the Great Hall!" He turned to his wife and grabbed her by her shoulders. "You go with them. Make sure they're safe."

"No, I'm staying here with you," She argued.

"I'm not losing you again Val! Go with the others and take Hiccup with you. After this is over, we'll continue as planned," he sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Maybe there will be more."

Valka wanted to continue arguing with her husband. She needed to help to fight. They needed her now that they were one rider less. "Alright. Just promise me you'll be careful," She smiled as Stoick cupped her cheek and gave her lips a peck before running off to prepare their defense.

She sighed, taking Bucket and Mulch with her up to their house. They pulled the covers over Hiccup's body again and started carrying him up to the Great Hall. Valka walked in the background, looking back to the horizon. She had- no. She would help them whether it meant disobeying her husband's, the chief's orders.

After taking Hiccup to the healers room and laying him down on one of the spare beds, she rushed out of the Great Hall, whistled for her four winged dragon and prepared herself for what was to come.

By the time their ranged defense was set, Drago's army was in reach. They aimed their catapults, aimed their arrows at the ships, but their attacks barely made a dent in the ships. A few men fell overboard, laid still or were either knocked out from the impact of boulders coming their way. The alpha noticed their struggled and used its tusks to crush the boulders mid-air and its icy breath to stop the arrows.

Stoick flew over to the archers on the back of his dragon, staying in the air to save himself some time. "Save your ammo for later!" He yelled. By watching his opponent's defense, the way their Alpha protected them, he knew it was useless. "Catapults stop firing and get ready for their soldiers!" His men shouted back in acknowledgement of his command and drew their axes and sword, maces and hammers before getting positions. Just as they did, Eret and his fleet docked on Berk.

They marched up in groups, holding shields in front of them in case of ambushes from long distance warriors. Eret walked in the front as Stoick did with his own men. They stopped. A good distance in between them. Both glared daggers at one another. Stoick wanted to yell and shout, release his anger on the army for daring to show up on Berk. And Eret wanted nothing else than his men; to revenge their leader.

"Leave this island alone," Stoick growled, not taking his eyes away from Eret's.

"You killed our leader. Your murdered him," Eret growled back at him.

"He murdered my son. Berk's future-

"No," Eret cut him off. "Your son murdered himself by even trying to reason with him. You were just too blind to see that. Now look what has come out of your choices. Consequences for not only you, but you're tribe as well."

"My tribe isn't the only ones who will have fallen warriors. If anything, your will have more," Stoick spat, unsheathing his sword. Eret mirrored his movements. "ATTACK!" Stoick yelled out to his people as he lunged at Eret. He was caught off guard as Eret unsheathed another sword and went for his head. Stoick barely dodged it.

Eret snickered, swinging with his right, blocking Stoick's sword with his left. He slashed Stoick's cheek and the two parted in the middle of the battle field.

"You have some guts showing up here, lad," Stoick growled, running towards him as Eret did the same. He swung his sword over his head and Eret had no other choice but to block it with both swords to prevent himself cut in two halves.

Eret struggled to keep up with the chief's strength, but gave it a last push and successfully parted from him. He quickly took a turn and went for his stomach. His blades barely sliced Stoick's armor. "I would've died for Drago if it meant he could live on. He gave us shelter, he gave us food, and he gave us a home when ours were burnt to the ground."

"That is your excuse for joining that mad man?" Stoick growled. "Of all the people you decided to join, it had to be him?" Stoick dodged his sword and plunged his own towards Eret's chest. Eret blocked it in an instant with both his swords and went for his head, but Stoick punched him, sending him stumbling to the ground.

Stoick went for the kill. He jumped up with his sword above his head. Their swords clang together, but Stoick had the advantage. He pressed with his whole body, coming closer and closer to his chest.

Eret gritted his teeth as the tip was by his neck. He kicked Stoick off, rolled away as he came once again. "He was the only one who accepted us. Tribes never take in packs of people, but a lonely leader who seeks followers does."

They ran toward each other, jumping up in the air to fight for power over the other. For a few seconds, they parried in the air, trying to put most weigh on the opposite to pin him down, but instead the exact opposite happened. The force was so great both Vikings fell backwards.

A long distance was created in between them as they fell on their backs. They tried their quickest to stand back up, and when they finally were on their feet a sudden thunder was heard from above. Both looked up but were surprised to find the sky cleared of clouds.

"What the-

Suddenly black smoke crashed down between them, sounding as if a heavy man jumped down from a cliff. The ground shook violently beneath their feet. The fighting between the two tribes stopped abruptly. Stoick stepped away as the dark smoke created a figure out of itself. His eyes widened in horror as everyone else.


	106. Chapter 106

"Drago?" Both Stoick and Eret asked. The man in front of them laughed, holding his empty hand out. His old black staff appeared and just as it did, the Alpha looked at him once again hypnotized.

"That's right," Drago smirked, walking closer to Stoick. "Looks like the gods decided to give me another chance," he grinned, pointing the sharp end of his staff at his throat. Stoick returned the move by taking a step back. "Not as tough as you were back on the battle field, are you?"

"Berkians step back," Stoick commanded. He knew what was happening. He knew what great danger they were in now that Drago was back; unstoppable against human hands. His men followed his orders and retreated a far distance from the man. Though, Stoick stood his ground; the dragon riders hovering over the two.

Drago laughed, looking up. "You really think some dragons will stop me? I'm disappointed," He removed his staff to the right, taking a step back as he began swinging it around in circles while screaming. Stoick stepped backwards as the Alpha roared.

"Everyone!" Astrid yelled from above. "Send your dragons out of here!" She steered the dragon riders in the opposite direction of the Alpha, but it was no use. Their dragons stopped abruptly and began shaking their heads. "Stormfly, down girl!" She kicked her side, but the dragon didn't listen. Stormfly shook her off and she was sent falling from high ground.

"Astrid!" Snotlout yelled, steering Hookfang after her. They just barely managed to catch her before Hookfang lost control. He crashed, sending the two riders a long distance forward. Astrid rolled on to her side, holding her stomach protectively. She looked up and saw Drago smirk down at her.

"You survived, huh," Drago walked over to her, holding his staff on hip's height. "Too bad your boyfriend didn't," He snickers.

"You bastard!" Astrid pushed herself up on her feet. She didn't know what she was planning on doing, but one thing did she know. She couldn't let him go before he paid the consequences of his actions. "You murdered Hiccup!" She ran towards him, drawing her fist, but someone grabbed it and pulled her backwards.

"Calm down woman!" Tuffnut held her fist and Ruffnut her waist. Astrid growled, trying to push herself free.

Snotlout stepped in front of her and pushed her backwards; away from Drago who stopped approaching her and instead watched amused. "It won't do anything good, Astrid! You know that!" Snotlout yelled, pushing her further away.

"I don't care! I'm going to drag his soul to Hel's gate myself!" She tries to push him off too, but Fishlegs held her back as well. "Let me go!" She knew it was useless to ask, or even try, but she wanted them to free her. She wanted to personally kick him back to death's door. But with the situation they were in, she could only imagine how short it would take for his army to rid of Berk's existence. Though, no one really knew if this was the whole Alvin scenario all over again.

Eret shook his head and cheered along with his men. None of them knew how he was still there with them, but they didn't care. Their leader was back, and they had secured themselves victory for good. He walked over to his master, reaching out to rest his hand on Drago's shoulder. "Good to see you back," Eret smirks. "Ready to take care of these-

His hand went through.

Drago turned to him; his eyes full of hate. "Stay out of my way. I don't need useless soldiers like you," he growled. Eret stepped back, looking down at his hand in shock. He took a step forward again, meeting the hateful eyes of his leader. His lips parted and small gasps of letters mixed in a stuttering voice came out. "Back off or I'll kill you too."

"Men, retreat!" Eret called, backing further away from Drago. They nodded shakily, almost dropping their weapons in the process of retreating.

Many of them felt angry inside, causing their nerves to shake because they kept it inside. They caused this attack to let out their anger, to avenge their leader's death. But now, Drago was back and personally threatening them to death if they didn't fall back.

Eret held his hand out to the side as one of his men dared to step forward with his sword raised. He didn't know what situation they were in or why Drago was back. But the way he acted, Eret couldn't think of risking anyone's life for finding out the reasons behind his return.

Eret shook his head at the man, and he instantly obeyed out of seeing the fear building up in Eret's eyes.

Valka jumped off her dragon, landing safely on the ground. She pushed her way through the Berkians defense and to her husband who lead them all. Her hand rested on his shoulder, gently leading him a little backwards as he turned to her.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, looking at Drago, and then back at him. In return, Stoick took her hand and stepped further away from him while also keeping an eye on his enemy.

"Gather up the dragon riders and get to the docks. They'll explain it on the way-

Drago broke into laughter. "You think I'm letting anyone leave this island so easily?" His expression changed to glaring daggers. His voice lower. "I will execute each and everyone one of you; starting from now." He swung his staff above his head, around and around as he screamed out his need of aid from the alpha.

The Alpha crawled up against the land and stood protectively behind its true master. Drago's men scurried out of the way, taking cover as the first blast of pure ice was blown to cover the Berkians.

They hurried out of the way, pushing each other away from the blast that sent chills down their spine as it passed them. Berkians took to higher and lower grounds, not daring to attack as Drago's men didn't. They all had the same dilemma; the alpha was coming too fast.

It blew its icy breath over houses and people, but careful and aware not to hit his human comrades. The Alpha didn't pay attention as more dragons swooped down in front of him, got caught in his ice or crashed to sea. It had control over the situation, and that was all because of his master's return.

Astrid ran along with Snotlout, having lost track of the others when the ice separated them from each other. The two hurried up to their chief, running along with him to safety (wherever that could be). "Chief!" She yelled to get his attention. He turned to her halfway as he kept his attention on getting everyone to safety. "What are we going to do? There's no way we can end this if we don't find Drago's body and soon!"

"I know that very well, Astrid!" Stoick pushed - with assistance from the Vikings - away a few beams to clear a path for them. He stood by to make sure everyone passed before him. "We'll have to find another way. For now, everyone needs to retreat into the woods-

Suddenly, there was a blinding, glowing light on the horizon. A turbulence was cast towards them, pushing everyone off their feet. But once back up, every pair of eyes were set forward. The glowing light slowly faded and a white dragon appeared by the statues.


	107. Chapter 107

The turbulence sent a wave of heat over Berk, warming each warrior as a mother's gentle voice and compliments for her children. Everyone stared at the figure of a glowing white dragon. It stood still in the wavy ocean, being taller than the statue it stood by and almost wider than the distance from the statue to the other.

Neither Berkian nor Drago's men could see anything as the blinding light melted together with the rising sun east of Berk. But then the light faded and whispers and mutters changed the silent atmosphere on the island. The sun lit up the darkness cast over the west and the dragon figure was revealed even further as it approached the land.

The Good Alpha rose from the ocean, appearing on the opposite side of the Evil Alpha. It roared threateningly at the current Alpha, hissing through gritted teeth. Small puffs of bright smoke left its mouth, sending cold waves through the air.

Both Alphas met gaze with eyes like daggers pointed at one another.

"Nothing can ever get too easy in life, now can it?" Drago chuckled, looking up at the alpha with a sly smile.

"As if you even have a life," Astrid mumbled after breaking through her shock of the arrival. Deep inside, she couldn't believe it was alive. She had witnessed with her own eyes, witnessed the alpha fall, witnessed its body lay deadly still. And now, it was back, but she was still, as anyone else, looking for the reason to why.

In the situation they were in, it could be many reasons. Reasons such as the bond between the Good Alpha's followers and human allies or the reason to give them a slight advantage in the war? But what kind of advantage could it be? The alpha had, obviously as Astrid would say, come back like Drago, to finish what was started, but as a spirit.

The Berkians started cheering, hope finally rising in them. Not everyone had witnessed the whole spirit scenario with Alvin, but those who had stayed deadly silent and observed each other's faces with their eyes.

"Why is everyone cheering?" Snotlout asked, looking around.

"Leave them be," Stoick said. "Not everyone knows what's going on, but maybe it's best that way."

"I agree," Fishlegs stepped in, finally having caught up with them. "But what do we do chief? You know just as much as we do, there's no way the Alpha can fight Drago's Bewilderbeast!"

Stoick eyed the teenagers and took a deep breath. "We'll fight for this island," he sighed. "We will fight for what Hiccup always fought for," he looked at Drago. "Peace."

The teenagers nodded in agreement, turning their weapons to their enemy. The cheering died down and Berkians stood ready.

Valka walked up behind Stoick, holding her staff tightly. She placed her free hand on his shoulder. "I'll try to catch the Alpha's attention. Maybe then, we can control it again," she spoke, looking at her previously deceased king. Stoick nodded her off with silent expressions as he got ready for what was to come.

Drago turned his attention back on the chief after hearing the previous conversation. He chuckled, stopping the couple from separating to a far distance from one another. "There's no need, to even try, chief," He snickered. "Your Alpha has its new master now."

"What are you talking about?" Stoick growled, holding his axe up in case of a surprise attack.

Drago turned back around, pointing his staff up at the Good Alpha's face. He grinned as he felt another source of power coming from the dragon. His staff led everyone's attention to the Bewilderbeast, and everyone waited. Different thoughts filling each of their minds.

Bright, glowing blue eyes revealed itself in the shadows between the dragon's protruding spikes. They lit up the shadows, but did nothing more than reveal the pair of eyes, staring down at them all as if observing the crowd.

Drago bowed, lowering his staff.

The bright eyes lowered to meet the man's frame and glared because of the teasingly manner.

"Oh, Great Dragon Master," Drago looked up as he spoke. "Please, have a reunion with your precious tribe." He stepped away, pinning his staff to the ground.

"Sorry Drago, can't do," A familiar voice spoke and the figure stepped out of the shadows. The light hit the auburn haired boy as he walked down the dragon's tusk, holding a staff similar to Valka's over his shoulder. "My time here is limited."

Astrid looked up the minute she heard the voice. His voice. She subconsciously stepped forward, unknown of her surroundings as the boy she had watched, spent his last seconds with in his arms, stepped out of the shadows and revealed his form. Her voice cracked, but she paid no attention and kept whispering. "Hiccup."

Hiccup jumped off the dragon's tusk, swinging his staff by his feet playfully as if it weighed nothing more than a feather does; though it looked quite the opposite.

"And while I'm here, I'll have to kindly ask you to leave," he stopped walking and stood a foot away from Drago without even taking a second glance at the ones surrounding them. Drago snorted.

"That didn't work too well last time did it?" Drago replied.

"Maybe not," Hiccup chuckled. "But I have to admit, I'm happy with the outcome of it. Because now…I have the power to defeat you."

Drago burst out laughing.

"You, the scrawny disappointment of Stoick the Vast," Drago pointed his staff at Stoick as if marking his words. "Defeating the conqueror of this world?"

"The only thing he needs to conquer is his breath," Stoick huffed, waving a hand in front of his nose. Hiccup gave a small smile at his father's joke, but shortly pulled his attention back at his enemy. His body relaxed but his expression changed.

His veins down his arm and hand glowed a bright blue. He clenched his fist as the power moved to his other arm and down his hand to the staff, sending blue vibrations of light down to the end of it.

"I'll repeat it one more time," Hiccup growled. "Get your men and leave."

"But I can't do that," Drago chuckled, his laughter slowly dying. "I am way too curious about your way of power. You see boy, you forgot one thing. I got my power from Loki, the god, himself. You don't stand a chance against me."

"News flash Drago," Hiccup spat his name. "You forgot one thing too," he smirked, holding his staff above his head as he kept his gaze locked on his target. "Loki has a brother."

And with that, he slammed his staff to the ground.


	108. Chapter 108

Lightning flashed in the ground below, creating lines of deadly power around each and every person standing. The dead bodies spread across the island from both sides; evil and good, soon faded to ashes and blew away with the cool breeze cast over Berk.

Hiccup's hair blew in all directions, like everyone else's, as the power got stronger and stronger, but as quick as it had started, it all changed directions towards the Good Alpha. It roared in acknowledgement towards his new master and slowly started moving towards the Evil Alpha once Hiccup gave it his silent command.

He disconnected his staff with the ground and everything turned into a bright light. No one could see anything or anyone else but their own body as they looked down at themselves or averted their gaze from the bright source.

Then, all at once, it disappeared; and so had both the Good and Evil Alphas.

Hiccup smiled satisfied and gave Drago a loop-sided grin. "I think this seems more…fair," He chuckled slightly at Drago's wide eyes, but copied his expression as Drago looked back at him half-glaring and half-challenging him to go further on.

"Show's me you're just more of a coward," Drago smirked, holding his staff tightly. His hand shook slightly, but he hid it well behind his personal mask.

"No," Hiccup corrected him. "It shows me that I have the guts to protect my people," he stepped closer to his enemy and glared dagger into his dark grey eyes. "Unlike you."

"Unlike me?" Drago laughed, slightly nervous as he looked at his old crew's glaring eyes. Both had almost forgotten about the little audience they had, and both were just as surprised to the fact that they were more interested in them than fighting each other (which was unusual because Vikings usually fought to blow off every bit of steam they carried).

"Yup," Hiccup said, popping the p. "I'm pretty sure that now since you got that 'oh-so-mighty-power', a few screws loosened up in here," he tapped his temple.

"I don't need brain when I have brawn," Drago chuckled which caused Hiccup to make another eye-roll.

"Proves just my point," he muttered. Hiccup held his staff tightly and moved in position. He pointed the staff at Drago challengingly. "Let's end this. Now."

"My pleasure," Drago grinned and knocked the staff away from his face before kicking Hiccup in the side. Hiccup stumbled slightly, but caught his footing and swung the staff at Drago's head. The enemy ducked and the whole area soon became a battlefield for the two spirits.

They teleported, vanished into thin air, and appeared on a cliff side. Each leaped on one another and either missed before vanishing again. The crowd parted and made a gap in the middle as metal hit metal in between them. An area was created, looking like a self-made arena with people as the barriers around the two fighting in the center.

Hiccup and Drago roared and leaped, a flash of power bursting from either of their staff's. The ground shook violently at each hit, but neither of them was affected by it. Eret and Stoick cast each other a look and nodded.

"Retreat to the boats!" Eret commanded his men, ushering them away from the fight with his sword. The soldiers pushed past the ruins and scurried down to the ships docked to the island. Stoick waved and pushed his people away from his son and the enemy as their power grew stronger for each second.

"Everyone to the Great Hall! We have to take cover!" Stoick yelled over the Berkian people who were struggling their way up to the Great Hall. They hurried up the stairs, jogged past boulders and streamed in and soon filled the hall with every bit of space they could get.

"Just. Leave. ALREADY!" Drago growled, stabbing his pointy staff towards Hiccup between each word. His opponent struggled to dodge, but managed to go undamaged before he made his own move. Hiccup dropped his weapon and reached out for his head. Drago quickly slammed his hand away, making it snap. But no cry escaped Hiccup.

Instead he jumped back on both his arms, doing a back flip, before landing swiftly on his feet, well _foot_ , with his hand perfectly fine again. "Was that really necessary?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow. Drago growled in response.

"Don't go all cocky on me now wimp," Drago brought his staff down at Hiccup's shoulder, but Hiccup dodged it and kicked him in his side, sending him with a force so great it sent him through a cliff side and out the other end. He plummeted down to the ocean, but before hitting the water he disappeared.

Hiccup kicked his staff back in his hands and bent his knees slightly so he could get ready to dodge the next attack. He looked around carefully, walking in a small circle as his glowing blue eyes searched through the ruins.

A loud cracking sound appeared by the top of the stairs to the Great Hall. Hiccup shot his head to the top and gasped. The statues crumbled down to pieces and blocked the entrance. An earthquake broke free and the dust pushed past Hiccup was he quickly headed up the stairs. He jumped up to skip some steps and get up quicker, but a black blur slammed into him and knocked him down.

Hiccup groaned, pushing himself up from the small crater. He shook his head and out of the dizziness just in time to block Drago's staff with his forearms in a cross. The force made the ground below crack and he sank lower and lower into the ground as Drago pounded him like hot metal.

Each blow caused the dirt to separate from the ground and blow away with the cold breeze cast over Berk, filling the tick air up with smoke. He tried to keep his knees from buckling as he forced his arms to be his shield. He caught something moving in the corner of his eye and slowly moved his head to see. His whole body trembled from the pressure.

A sigh in relief escaped his lips as he spotted Eret and a few from his crew, digging the Berkians out of the Great Hall. He quickly rolled away as the next blow came and kicked him to the ground. Drago tripped and fell face first in the grass. Hiccup grabbed his ankle and made them teleport away from the working men. He pinned him down.

Drago squirmed roughly beneath his grip. He had a disadvantage now that his staff was knocked out of his hand and he only had three limbs to protect himself with. He got ready to put them to good use against his enemy, but Hiccup read his mental plans and pinned the rest of him down.

"GET OFF!" Drago roared. Hiccup pouted slightly.

"What? You're not going to give me an excuse for doing so?" He tilted his head teasingly, tightening his grip. "There's no use to try to disappear," Hiccup grinned. "You and I both know you can't do anything without your precious staff."

Drago grunted, but didn't stop trying to fight back. He trashed and kicked, well tried to, under his grip, but nothing happened. Hiccup stayed unmoving with his body while his muscles worked on holding him down. He drew back his hand on Drago's left, metal shoulder and quickly slammed his fist into his ribs.

The air was knocked roughly out of Drago's lungs and he remained unmoving to catch his lost breath. Hiccup took it has his opportunity to run over to his staff. He smacked Drago's head with the end and grabbed his dirty locks of hair in a fist.

* * *

Eret and his men worked quickly to remove the boulders. They heard violent punches slam against the door from the inside which encouraged them to move faster. Rock after rock, boulder after boulder was thrown away or pushed away and down the stairs to make room.

"Dig out one of the doors!" Eret yelled, panting. His arms felt weaker and weaker by the second as he threw away rocks and dug in the gravel with his hands as shovels. He pushed a large block of stone away from the door and let it fall down the stairs.

 _Boom._

The wooden doors cracked as they shook violently. Eret's men backed away after pulling their leader away.

 _Boom._

They listened closely as voiced were heard behind the walls. Eret looked at his men slightly unsure.

 _Boom._

"Are they…cheering?" Eret backed away further. "I'm kinda regretting saving these _maniacs_ now," he mumbled, but yelped as timbers broke loose and flew away from the door.

 _Snap._

A hole burst open and splints of wood flew everywhere. Eret's men, including himself, covered themselves with their arms as it rained wood on them. Gravel filled the open hole until there wasn't anything left.

Men grunted and took deep breaths from the inside before averting their gaze away from the broken table by their feet and the broken door.

Sun beams shone upon the Vikings. Sweat glistened on their foreheads while heavy pants escaped their dried and bruised lips. Stoick stepped forward and looked up at the shadow standing on the pile of gravel. He smiled gratefully at the figure and extended his hand.

Eret looked down at the chieftain by the end of the path and watched closely as he extended his hand. He slowly took a step down and twisted it ninety degrees to keep his footing. He bent his knees and grabbed Stoick's forearm with a warm smile.

Stoick copied his movements and gripped it tightly in a manly handshake. "Allies?" He looked up at him with determined, yet slightly hopeful, eyes. Eret smirked.

"Allies."


	109. Chapter 109

The black haired man hoisted the Berkian chief up the fallen statues remains; their grips firm on each other's forearm. With a silent and serious nod towards one another, both let go and Eret and his men continued to help the villagers in need of assistance up the mass of rocks.

Stoick wobbled slightly as he struggled to keep himself balanced on the way down to the ground. With his eyes fixed on his feet, focused on stepping right (because the last they would need was a chief with a broken ankle), he let himself carefully down on the flat and even ground.

Once set, he tore his gaze away from his feet and instantly looked up. His grey green eyes widened as an unbelievable scene unfolded in front of his very own eyes.

Sand, mixed with rocks, moved in circles around the two spirits as their powers grew more intense and fought for the over power. Black, fear filled eyes were met by bright blue ones as Hiccup smashed his palm against Drago's forehead, curled his fingers into the dreadlocks of black hair, and lifted him up.

Hiccup's grip tightened, his fingers digging into Bludvist's scalp. In attempt to free himself, and get back to fighting, Drago grabbed Hiccup's wrist and held it tightly. Hiccup didn't flinch nor yelp in surprise and pain. His mind was set on something else than feelings and reactions from his body; something that had broken his control over the unlimited power he was given. He was set on illuminating the threat on this land, and only that.

The energy, the way everything was smoothly, yet in a way violently, of it, wasn't what struck Stoick as frightened, bewildered and amazed. No, it was the two different outlines behind both Hiccup and Drago's spirits. He hadn't noticed them before, but now that different objects surrounded the two, spinning faster and faster in circles, he could see its form. Rather _their_ form.

The forms were like a focused eye: one thing clear while everything else a pure blur. For Stoick, he was surprised he could even see them with his old sight. He guessed it was, that he hadn't seen it before, because he couldn't catch any sign of movement from them, but with a second glance over at his son, he couldn't find any in his either. Hiccup's body was as still as a stone; the form mirroring him from behind.

Although Stoick couldn't see the true identity behind the figures, they looked humane enough to him, but as he couldn't find any better explanation, he pushed that behind in hope for it to not be another problem to stop their chances of victory.

Lightning erupted from Hiccup's palm and an ear piercing scream broke free from Drago's lips as it shot through his body like a lightning bolt. It held him captive in a net as well as the loss of his ability to move. A monotonic laugh escaped Hiccup's lips, seeming to be mixed with his own and another much darker one, at the sight of his helpless state.

The forms behind both of them became clearer as the final moment occurred, and everything seemed to go in slow motion as Stoick watched. A bright red rope fluttered with the wind, a hammer - with beautiful carvings, held high over the orange, long haired and bearded man as he got ready to strike at the figure behind Drago; a man with blonde hair fluttering by the wind along with the green cape.

Behind the helmet, Thor's eyes never left Loki's as he had leaped up in the air, lifted his hammer over his head and pointed at his half-brother. Loki carried a grin across his lips, unlike his puppet, as he sat on his knees ready for his doom.

Hiccup's eyes grew wider and a grin formed in satisfaction, and even with no pupils Drago could have sworn that deep inside, he could see the murderer hidden behind Hiccups flesh. His true killer. And that was the last he ever saw as the lightning power had broken through him and into his own power core.

Bright blue light mixed with black smoke flashed on every object and being in the area, heating the air up like the fire season. The ice slowly melted, but not completely as the light retracted back to the source and exploded. Blue flakes of Hiccup's power erupted into the air from the two gods and rose from their backs as they slowly disappeared from earth, leaving behind the air to be filled with beautiful colors reflected by the sun beams.

A sigh escaped Hiccup's lips, the blue light faded from his eyes that was staring at his feet where Drago's soul was dragged down to. He dropped his staff, lifted his head and turned around.

Vikings were evacuating from the Great Hall where men helped the women and children out of the open hole before going back to helping the rest. Children gasped at the sight of Berk, excitement rising inside their childish souls as they immediately ran away from the men and jumped up to touch the beautiful colors falling from the skies.

Hiccup chuckled and looked back on the horizon as a voice called in his head.

 _Its time…_

Hiccup sighed and grabbed his staff and Drago's old one. He held them both tightly and made his way to the cliff side, eyes set on the vast and beautiful ocean he once soared on dragon's back over. His steps went slowly before stopping at the edge and looking down. He took another glance around him one last time before lifting his foot of the cliff.

"Wait!" A voice shouted desperately from behind, panting and gasping for air. Hiccup took a step back and turned around. His eyes widened when they met a pair of red puffy ones. Astrid slowly walked over to him, violent tears - she didn't even bother to hide – streaming down her cheeks. "Do you…Do you have to leave?" Her eyes shone with hope.

Hiccup clenched his fists as if to try and keep the rest of his human side together. He looked away for a second before his mind forced his gaze back at her. Only then did he notice the villagers walking out from behind houses, children running closer to get a clear look at them both. From the corner of his eye, he could see the remains of Drago's warriors slowly walk up from the docks.

He dropped the staffs again when he knew they would be no threat for his people. "I have to," he choked out, a lump forming in his throat that he so desperately tried to get rid of. It hadn't been like this the first time a situation occurred, where he was the point of all attention. He didn't even bother the thought of him being a spirit, because last time, he was a living human being, creating peace between the Berkians and Outcasts, once ridded of their evil leader. "Strangely enough, the gods need me to fight against Ragnarok," he chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood as he saw the sadness in her eyes. "Crazy, I know, that the gods need a toothpick like me for a war like that."

Hiccup's lips formed a smile as a small laugh came out of her. Astrid's small smile soon disappeared as she shuffled with her hands nervously. She had so much she needed to tell, explain to him. But she didn't know how since normally, once Hiccup noticed her unusual behavior, he would hold her close and talk her through every problem on her list. Now, though, she knew that was impossible, considering they couldn't even touch without going through one another.

"Hiccup…," She merely whispered. Her hand slowly moved out of her other and wandered down her small bump. "I-I have to tell you something," Astrid looked up at him, wiping her eyes. But one thing came to her as a shock, as her eyes met the figure of her boyfriend. Hiccup was smiling, the same smile he would give her when they talked. It was a smile filled with pride he usually gave once she had let her inner warrior away for a moment, and the human side of her, that could show emotion for only special people in her life, come out of the dark.

"Shh," Hiccup hummed softly. "I know," he slowly took a step forward, followed by another, before he stood in front of her. He kneeled down and looked at her stomach, smiling from ear to ear. "Our beautiful, little child."

Astrid chuckled slightly, wiping her eyes. "How come you're not mad? I didn't tell you, and now it's too late," she hugged herself, looking at him sadly. "I should have told you sooner."

Hiccup shook his head, his smile never fading as he blew a small kiss at her stomach and stood up again. "Don't blame yourself," he shook his head again. "I know it must have been hard for you to tell me," Hiccup smiled. "Just promise me one thing alright?"

Astrid nodded, looking up at him sadly.

"Take care of our child," Hiccup chuckled, holding up one finger. "Stay healthy, or god knows when I'll come scold you for not," He holds up a second finger, causing Astrid to roll her eyes. She wiped her cheeks with her palms and laughed.

"I swear, Haddock, if you don't lower you overprotectiveness," She pointed a warningly finger at him. "You'll be expecting a good punch in a few years."

Hiccup laughed. "Make that at least fifty years, or you'll get in trouble," he winked, crossing his arms.

"Gosh, I wish I could punch you now," Astrid rubbed her head, shaking it with a laugh.

"Besides," Hiccup looked at her, causing her to roll her eyes as if saying, _here we go again_. "We both were too late to tell our secret for one another," He smiled, looking over at his mother who stood leaning against his father. They nodded at each other. "Except that mine will have to wait for another time."

"What? Wait for later? But Hiccup-

"No buts, milady," Hiccup shook his head. "I think it would be better this way," His eyes tore away from her as he spotted someone walking over to them.

Stoick gently put a hand on Astrid's shoulder, pulling her into his warm embrace. She smiled gratefully and laid her head against him as she looked at her boyfriend slightly calmer now as if he was still there with them, still alive. "Son…," Stoick sighed as he looked up at him with a small smile.

"Hey…dad," Hiccup scratched his arm awkwardly. "At least now you don't have to worry about me running this village." Stoick laughed, although he was kinda disappointed at the thought of the truth in his words. He wouldn't be able to watch his heir be the chief after him.

"I think you should be the one happy about it," He offered a smile. "Seeing as you always tried to get away from those lessons," Stoick chuckled and held both the girls by his side close. "I'll try to hide my anger with your luck around that subject."

Hiccup smiled at him. "I guess I was a lucky person," he shrugged. "I'm just glad I didn't drown myself in the luck I got and tried crazier-

"Crazier?" Astrid crossed her arms.

"Okay, fine, I _always_ did something insane and crazy," Astrid nodded in agreement. "But at least it was for something good," He defended himself, blushing as everyone laughed at his awkwardness. He pouted slightly until he felt someone standing beside him. Hiccup slowly turned around. "Uh..?"

Gothi sighed annoyed, waving her staff in front of his face. Hiccup yelped and looked down at her. "Since when did you start moving so fast-uh…," Hiccup gulped at her expression. He shuffled around with his feet nervously, forgetting that she couldn't do anything to him.

Gobber limped up beside him, having the same old struggles to walk on his wooden leg that dragged after him each step. He stood beside Hiccup - as if he would have placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Are you ready for the funeral?" Gobber gave him a sad look and a sigh as their eyes met.

Hiccup sighed, running a hand through his hair. "How am I even supposed to answer that…," he looked down for a moment before nodding. He took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

A tight sensation came so suddenly in his chest he almost lost himself to lose his breath. His heart ached as he watched his parents walk through a cleared path between the crowds of villagers watching. His heart ached as Gobber made a move to pat his shoulder, but stopped his hand midair with a sigh and followed them. His heart ached as they started handing out bows and arrows to the capable ones.

But his heart ached the most when they returned, and he was sure he had fresh tears falling from his eyes as he watched his parents stand on either side of the board, Gobber behind his father and Eret behind his mother, with bowed head.

They set the board down on the ground, Stoick's thick furry coat draped over his body to give respect for his deceased son. Everyone took a step aside, and let the elder have room.

Gothi gently lifted the covers away from Hiccup's body, to reveal his pale and unmoving form. Many had to look away and shield their children from the sight. Gothi looked around before walking over to a pile of ashes. She dipped her thumb into it and rubbed it into her thumb as if to test the remains of the burnt material; soft and damp.

She walked over to his body again and raised her hands in the air, closing her eyes before saying a silent prayer. Everyone followed in her lead and closed their eyes, giving their last farewell and prayer for their fallen hero.

"May the Valkyries welcome you- well, welcomed you," Gobber coughed awkwardly at the glares, earning a chuckle from Hiccup. "And lead you through Odin's great battlefield," Hiccup wiped his cheeks and smiled at the sight.

"May they sing your name with love and fury," Gothi's hand hovered over Hiccup's forehead in circles as she prayed with them silently. "So that we might hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that you have taken your rightful place at the table of kings," She drew a curved down line on his forehead with her soothed thumb.

"For a great man has fallen, a man we pray today to receive his award by the gods above, a man we pray the wellbeing of his soul to have him preserved with the protection we send with him today," Gothi waited for his sentence to be over before raising her hands again, nodding to the ones above, and drawing a new curved line upside down in the center and much smaller than the first.

"And we…we pray for his soul to be whole in your, our father's, hands and freed from the pain that it suffered and had it sentenced to death," She gave a nod at Gobber who took a step back once he finished the ritual, and made the last line; from the small curved one and down in result of the chief sign. Her eyes landed on Hiccup.

"Thank you," Hiccup whispered, offering a sad yet warm smile to the elder who nodded and returned it. He looked up as his parents lifted the board, once Gothi stepped away. He gasped in realization. "W-wait!"

"Son…?" Stoick looked up at him, his eyes screaming of confusion.

"Where…where's Toothless?" Hiccup looked around panicked. "He…he isn't…is he?!" He practically screamed at his parents, who flinched at his high voice, and let a hand run through his hair as he looked around himself from every angle. The heavy concern was lifted off his shoulders in a flash as a distant roar was heard. "T-Toothless," Hiccup sighed in relief and looked up as the black night fury appeared on one of the buildings, looking around as if he was searching for something.

Toothless took two unsure steps forward, hoping his nostrils hadn't tricked him with the scent of his rider. He looked around, over the crowd of people, until his acid green eyes met his rider's puffy red ones. He roared, a gummy smile forming on his scaly lips as he bounced down from object to material, on his way down to his rider. He stopped in front of him and cooed.

Dragons which had either lost control over their mind or had been sheltering under the war started gathering around the crowd to give their riders a reunion. But Hiccup paid no attention to them. He held his hand out to Toothless a bit unsure. He didn't know if he could at least make body contact with his best friend anymore. Hiccup's eyes never leaving his piercing green ones as the scaly dragon slowly let his muzzle against his hand, causing him to lose it. Hiccup threw his arms around Toothless as he gave him a good hug around his neck. A coo escaped Toothless's throat as he rubbed himself against Hiccup's spirit.

"I-I don't know what I would have done…if I couldn't say good bye to you," Hiccup scratched his head as he let his hot salty tears drip from his cheeks to Toothless's warm scales. Toothless cooed worriedly. "I'm alright buddy," Hiccup whispered. "I-I'm okay."

Toothless purred at his riders words and licked him one last time before Hiccup stood up. "Let's get that saddle of okay?" Toothless looked at him questioningly. "We can save it for later, yeah? When we'll do our usual mid night flight," Hiccup forced a smile, even though his heart was breaking deep inside as he watched Toothless bounce around in excitement for the event later with his rider and himself.

Toothless stood up straight and let the dragon boy remove the gear and put it down neatly beside him. "Come here," Hiccup kneeled down in front of him and held his hands open. "I got you two gifts," he chuckled, wiping his eyes. He barely noticed that everyone was watching the two. "One," Hiccup gently took his tail in his hands and laid it in his lap. He placed both hands on the left side of it and watched as a new tailfin grew out. Toothless screeched in response and looked at it. He bounced up and down happily, tackling his rider and drenching him in saliva.

"Toothless-stop-argh!" Hiccup managed to push him off and give him a pout as he tried to wipe everything off. "You know," He threw some spit off. "This doesn't wash off!" Toothless rolled his eyes and walked up to him, sniffing his hands for the second gift as if expecting it would come out of his hands in any second.

Hiccup sighed and grabbed the staff, both his and Drago's. He broke them in two and watched as a dark smoke connected with a bright blue one, slowly gathering in his hands. "I want you…," Hiccup looked at him. "To take good use of this okay?" Toothless sniffed it curiously, but screeched as it went into his nose. He bounced around, pawing his nose for the mysterious smoke inside him.

"Calm down! Toothless!" Hiccup grabbed him and pointed a warning finger at him. Toothless cooed and looked down.

"He-he…he's glowing!" A villager shouted, pointing at Toothless in horror.

"I see it too!" Another Viking yelled from the other side.

Toothless walked around in circles, in attempt to look at himself, before he met his rider's warm gaze. He cooed in confusion. Hiccup laid his hand on his snout. "You're the new alpha, bud," Hiccup smiled, stroking it gently as Toothless's eyes went wide. "Be good to them," He slowly stood up and watched as Toothless's spine glowed a bright and powerful blue before it shortly disappeared again.

Hiccup looked up at his father, and over to his mother. He inhaled and exhaled a deep breath before giving himself the courage to repeat the words again. "I'm ready…we can…continue," he stroked Toothless's head and decided to keep him distracted as his parents lifted the board up again, with assistance from both Gobber and Eret, and started carrying it down to the docks where the younger and older ones followed with torches in respect.

Hiccup knew that Toothless was distracted enough – he could see it in his eyes – that he didn't believe his rider was dead. The way Toothless looked at him, was the way he did every day; happy and enthusiastic around him. He knew this, because he had also seen Toothless at his lowest; the minute his soul had left his body, he had caught a glimpse of his guilty face. A picture that would never leave his mind.

And his mind told him to keep him distracted, by pretending to still be alive, to still be there. He believed it was for the best. So, as usual, he sat down beside Toothless and leaned against his body as he waited, waited for everything to be over and for him to meet the darkness once again. His head rested against Toothless's neck as he looked up at the horizon.

It took minutes before the burning arrows fired above him and hid the target he was looking at. The boat, his funeral. He smiled sadly at Toothless who purred at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see orange sparks blow away with the wind. He closed his eyes and lay down against him, relaxing fully. "I'll miss you, buddy…," He whispered, before he found himself consumed by darkness.

The people of Berk, and the people remaining of Drago's army, watched as Hiccup's spirit burnt to pieces and glowing ash as it set out towards the horizon. It was sad to see their hero go, the one who had once again made peace between two tribes. But this time, differently.

Hiccup had lost his life in the war that had occurred, once he had made his final decision of trying to reason with the evil behind the attack. He did that pretty often, actually. He tried to reason with the Vikings he once called a home to, but at what cost? He was kidnapped. He tried to reason with the threat that wanted him for his own, but instead, after three years of training, he defeated the threat and made peace with the tribe.

All this, was death threatening situations, and Hiccup had always sacrificed himself when it came to others, people he stood close, was involved. But Hiccup couldn't care less about his life, and everyone knew that. They knew he would always put himself at the top of the danger list, and try to get everyone out of it before himself.

That was what had saved him all those times; his courage and his heart for others that most Vikings didn't even have. Expect this time, it was different. Because his whole life, from the moment he was born into a poor, weak body, had he managed to cheat death, but this time, it just wasn't any room for _escape_.

* * *

 **The End ~**


End file.
